Reunion
by Da Games Elite
Summary: When Misty finds herself at the end of the rope as a Gym Leader, all seems lost, until a certain raven haired boy reappears in her life. Will Misty be able to save the material things in her life, or will she find something even greater? AAML
1. Chapter 1

Yes, I know I have TOO many fan-fic started already…but one more can't hurt, especially seeing as how I have a whole summer to write stuff. This is just a little Pokemon fic that I've been meaning to write for awhile now. I am a huge sucker for the character of Misty, so, in this little one-shot, I go out to outline a little bit in the future of this universe of Pokemon…going out to say what could happen in the future…

#

**REUNION**

**By Da Games Elite**

**Part 1**

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"

A jet of brilliant light exploded from the open jaws of the hungry serpentine aquatic dragon, a jet that burned through the pool of water, searing the droplets of H2O as it tore toward the enemy Houndoom, slamming against the breadth of the creature's skull. The canine foe was thrown from the platform he stood upon as the jet tore into him, enveloping him in sparks of technocolored light. The beast stared at its attacker for an instant with unrelenting horror and rage, before turning toward the woman standing behind it, the one holding the strings of the battle, before the Houndoom was thrown through the wall behind it, piercing its surface, left in the smoldering ruins behind his helpless trainer.

"Houndoom!" the young trainer squealed before turning toward the attacker, the mighty Gyarados glaring down at it, slithering through the water toward the trainer, the mighty jaws agape as it stared down at its prey. "I surrender!"

"Alright then, Gyarados, return!" The Gyarados was ensnared by a red light, a red aura that sucked the serpentine monster back into the clutches of its ball. The trainer held the ball in her hands, tossing it up and down for a few moments as she exhaled, slowly releasing the tension of battle from her lungs as logic and reason gave way to the emotions of the heart. The Houndoom in the wall trembled weakly as the trainer glanced toward the nurse on stand-by. Joy darted toward the defeated dog, several Chansies at her side, as they pulled the fallen beast onto a stretcher, carrying him away. The young trainer was escorted away, his eyes wide with fear, as the gym leader of Cerulean felt her legs give out under her, her head lowered in shame.

She could've killed that Pokemon just now.

She could've hurt that poor trainer's heart and mind.

She could've done something so horrible she'd never forgive herself.

She withdrew the Pokeball from her hip that contained Gyarados. He had become so mighty, so overwhelmingly powerful as time passed by. Now, the weak trainers just starting on their way who crossed paths with her stood little to no chance against his might. She supposed that was proper for a gym leader, but even so, Misty was never one for overkill.

"Well, let's see here, that makes fifty-four victories in the past month, rounding out your two-hundred win streak since last fall, meaning you've spent the last half a year virtually undefeated," sighed the secretary (her name was Jean, but that was unimportant to the gym leader at the moment) as Misty abandoned her pool, her skin pale and clammy, a moisture completely unrelated to the pool she had battled on. "You keep this up, and rest assured they'll rank you as one of the most intense gyms in the Kanto region, right up there with that Sabrina lady and Surge."

"Yeah," Misty replied, not listening. She ran a towel through her locks of hair, tugging the pool water from her follicles, and yet couldn't seem to dry her body of the icy sweat that emerged from each of her pores. She could've killed someone right now, and she had almost killed someone every day for the past several months. After four years of being a gym leader, even now Misty didn't seem to shake that competitive streak in her heart. Very rarely did she find a trainer that matched her move-for-move, and out of all those opponents, even fewer defeated her.

Jean, however, glanced down at her clipboard she kept tucked up next to her breast as the seconds passed. "Also, you have four more matches this week scheduled, all new trainers from Pallet Town or Viridian City, along with a meeting with that official from the Indigo Plateau, and then you'll be able to rest a little before you open the pool up for public use again. Sounds like an interesting day."

"Yeah, I'd say," Misty replied, not listening still.

"Funny how each person using this place tends to make this gym a public display of some sort. First a swim show, then a public pool…wouldn't be surprised if next it turned out you wanted to make this place into a bath house," Jean mumbled, her voice mostly monotone, her long brown hair trailing down to her slightly thick hips as she followed Misty around. She glanced up at the orange haired trainer through her thick-rimmed glasses before mumbling, "Of course, it's not like you'd find my brand of humor amusing."

Misty didn't respond.

Misty waited for the Indigo Representative in her office. She sat at a desk, not unlike the desks Misty had, for years, sworn up and down she'd never find herself sitting at. The window before her overlooked the pool, both her sanctuary and hell, a source of pleasure and indescribable pain. She sighed slightly as she ran a hand through her hair before glancing at her desk. There stood many pictures, memories of years since past. There were her three glorious sisters, out doing only God knows what again, a huge picture of Togepi, a memory now long since past, and then, next to that, was that boy from Pallet Town, Ash. It wasn't a picture of Ash, Misty, and their other friend Brock, just that blacked haired boy with that stupid hat with the insignia on it. Misty remembered how she had tried to win a hat like that once, but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. Now Misty could picture no one other than Ash wearing that hat. It was just illogical to assume that hat could fit on anyone else's head.

Last time Misty saw Ash, he wasn't wearing that hat.

The door to her office opened as Jean poked her head in once more. "Misty, the Indigo Representative is here. Do you want me to send him up?"

"Uh, sure," Misty replied, turning away from the photos on the desk. Why did she even keep those old things there anyway? She hadn't seen Ash in so long anyway, so why hold onto memories that only reminded her of things she didn't have? She sighed, staring into that boy's face once more. She had so many photographs of the two of them together, and yet she chose that one picture of just him. Why was that? Did it capture Ash perfectly, did it—

"Hello there, Miss Waterflower." The voice of the representative drew Misty out of her reflection. He was a tall man, his hair drawn back into a ponytail, his chin covered with irregular locks of hair. His smile resembled that of a vagabond, and his untidy suit, the tie loose around his neck, helped to reinforce that idea. He bowed, almost mockingly, before the Gym leader, as he took a seat right in front of her, lazily. "My name is Nathanael Butler, and I'm here just to settle a few matters with you, Misty—I can call ya that, right?"

"Yeah, sure, it's fine," Misty replied, folding her legs as she glanced over at Nathanael, gazing occasionally at Ash's picture. Why did she keep looking at that stupid boy? Was she afraid Ash could see her in a room alone with another guy? She wasn't alone, Jean was here, right? Jean sat in a corner, her clipboard at the ready to take notes on what both parties said, simply to give Misty moments after the meeting ended, when the notes that Jean recorded would be fresh in the gym leader's mind before she even read them.

"Well, it's just that, well, you're a great trainer," Nathanael replied, smiling a lazy yet perhaps charming smile at the gym leader, "Well, scratch that, a phenomenal trainer. However, perhaps you're too good. Perhaps it's gotten to the point where you're too good to be a gym leader anymore."

"What exactly are you saying?" Misty asked, confused.

"The gym leaders were put in place to test trainers to see if they were ready for the Indigo Plateau. However, in a recent poll, we came to realize something about your level of skill: your on par with the Elite Four. Well, let me rephrase that: you're not nearly as good as them, nor could you bother expecting to win, but, nevertheless, you're at the level of skill where we'd allow you to actually confront the Elite Four in battle. You're that qualified. And yet you're a gym leader. Most Gym Leaders never reach that level of skill, and yet, here you are, doing it anyway, and using your champion level Pokemon to fight fledgling trainers."

"Where are you going with this?" Misty asked.

Nathanael chuckled at this, a faint, almost bemused chuckle. "Oh, sorry, I fear I'm dancing around the point here. Well, let's get straight to it: you're so good few people can beat you, and you're only getting better. Fact is, you're so good that you're actually limiting the amount of people who are able to participate in the Indigo League tournament. Participation from last year alone is down 42%. It's a massive drop, and this is even considering we have higher tier trainers such as Sabrina here. In fact, the real reason why we feel there is this huge drop in percentages is because, simply put, we have trainers who are too strong in charge of their gyms. Yourself, Sabrina, and Lt. Surge. And, as with all things, when put under new management, it's only fair that we try to, shall we say, cut the fat."

All at once it became clear to Misty what he was saying. The girl rose to her feet, a furious glint in her eye. "You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you!"

Nathanael chuckled yet again. He closed his eyes in mock amusement before glancing up, a dangerous glow in his iris. "If you give up your gym now, I'll happily give you and your family a nice sum of money for the building as well."

"Now hold on! I live in this gym! You can't just kick us out!"

"Well, I'm not JUST kicking you out. Sabrina and Lt. Surge are going with you," chuckled Nathanael, reaching into his suit pocket to withdraw a folded envelop. He shoved it into Misty's lowered hands, forcing her to accept the eviction notice. "We'll give you two months. Think of this as a way to ensure that you go out on a bang."

Misty stared at the letter, this death sentence. That's what it was, after all: a death sentence, a message informing her that her heart had been torn out, that her blood and life fluids were dripping on the floor, that she had moments to grasp fresh air in her lungs before all went black. She didn't always get along with her sisters, nor did she always find the environment here pleasant, but for the love of all that was good, this was her home. She LIVED here, she had grown up here. She enjoyed traveling around the world, yes, but when it came right down to it, this was the only place where she could call home. She loved traveling, yes, but even so, even so, she had prided herself on her connection to the Cerulean gym in that she was, for all intents and purposes, strong enough of a trainer to be a gym leader!

Now what was she?

Elite Four competition?

Could she still give out badges like that?

Misty brushed the tears from her eyes as she glanced back up at Nathanael, the man now turning to leave, an amused grin on his lips. "Please, is there anything I can do, anything at all, to just—"

"Nope. None at all. Abandon all hope ye who enter here," Nathanael replied, laughing slightly to himself, "Two months, Misty, two months. You can't fight it."

"No warning at all! Just a damn eviction like that!" Misty shouted, losing her temper, "You jerk! You can't just barge in here and tell me what to do! You haven't heard the last of this, ya know!" Misty screamed at the top of her lungs as tears rolled down her cheeks. There was a moment following her outburst where nothing moved, and then she felt her sobs explode from her mouth. She fell against her desk, lowering her face into her hands. She sobbed out her stress, her fury, her anxiety, her anguish, her loss, her sorrow, her nostalgia, her memories, her love.

She felt a hand on her shoulder as Nathanael stood over her, frowning slightly. "There, there, Misty. Maybe we can offer you a spot in Indigo, or, maybe, worst case scenario, I can try arranging something at the office."

"You would?"

"Yeah, if you give me a tour of the building, in particular your living spaces—"

The resounding slam of Misty's knuckles across Nathanael's jaw echoed throughout the entire chamber. The official stumbled backward, a vehement expression on his face. His fingers curled into a fist for a split second before that cocky grin returned yet again. Laughing slightly, he said, his lip bleeding slightly, "You pack quite a punch there. The precise reason why, in two months, you'll be gone. Good day, gentlewomen."

The seconds passed in silence as Misty sat down in her chair, digging her face into her arms. It was all over. There was nothing she could do, nothing whatsoever. That man, that bastard, had just given her a death sentence. It was that simple: she was going to die in two months. Not literally of course, but figuratively. For the last four years, she had been a gym leader. She had spent every day forcing young trainers to reach their potential in order to see if they were worthy of reaching the Indigo league. That bastard couldn't fool her: a gym leader was more important than a stupid official. She was essential to the system, but now the system deemed her a threat.

Once again, she was being too violent to her opponents.

She hated her own techniques.

But what other choice did she have?

#

Ash stood in front of his old house, a smile on his lips. He had returned yet again, unexpected yes but home yet again. He smiled as he walked toward his old front door, and wrapped his knuckles against the wooden frame. A smile spread on his lips as she emerged yet again, happy as always to see him. His mother grabbed her only son into her arms, squeezing him against her bosom affectionately.

"Ash! It's been so long! I've been so worried about you and everything! You look so thin! Have you been eatin' enough? Hope you've been changing your you-know-whats every single day."

"I'm fine, mom, really!" Ash stammered, his raspy voice almost alien to the young adult. He hadn't spoken in so long, as he had traveled back to Pallet on foot. It had taken him awhile, but he got back regardless, safe and sound. A grin on his lips, he glanced around the living room in his mother's house, surprised to find it virtually unchanged, save for the photographs on the countertops, covering each corner of the house. He approached one nearest him, finding it, to his mild surprise, of a girl he hadn't seen in so long.

"Oh, knew you'd look at that one first," his mother chuckled, glancing over Ash's shoulder at the photograph, "You were so adorable back then, you three."

Ash stared at his own reflection, a reflection of him as a child yet again, of a black haired boy at his side who he had left behind yet again as he left for Pallet, and of an orange haired girl he hadn't seen in years. He smiled slightly as he stared at those slender legs, the thin fingers spread out as she waved at the camera, waving, it seemed, at the Ash who stared back at her years later. "She really was scrawny back then," Ash said, laughing.

"Look who's talking," his mom mumbled for an instant before saying, in a loud, carrying voice, "So who wants some dinner!"

"That'll be great!" Ash said, placing the picture down in favor of filling his face. It was at that instance that Pikachu darted into the room, gasping for air. Ash turned toward Pikachu. Ever since reaching Kanto, Ash had been in fight after fight, and Pikachu was exhausted. He nearly passed out on the floor, but, as Ash knew very well, he couldn't reach a Pokemon center until he reached Pallet. He took a short cut through the woods, and by short cut that clearly meant it was where the roughest of Pokemon resided. Pikachu was his strongest Pokemon, and, naturally, he could take the abuse. Until, of course, the home stretch.

"I figured you'd treat Pikachu a little better, Ash! The poor thing looks like he's about to faint right there on the floor!" Ash's mother snapped, her hands on her hips.

"Sorry! It's a long story," Ash replied as Pikachu cuddled up against his chest, weakly.

"Well, I suppose it's okay. You know what you're doing, being a big trainer and everything now. Well, let's eat."

"Yeah, sounds good!"

As Ash ate his fill, and as Pikachu recovered while Mr. Mime spoon fed him food (Mr. Mime, for the record, was also healing Pikachu with his own psychic abilities), Ash found himself glancing back constantly at that old picture of Misty. Or, as it should be said, the multiple old pictures of Misty. Just how many did his mother keep around the house, exactly? It was almost startling how Misty seemed to be staring at him from all angles, accusing him still that he needed to return her old bike, the one he stole.

Strange, though, how she did get that bike back.

It almost seemed alien, despite happening years ago.

Funny how things like that worked out.

"Do you ever see Misty around, mom?" Ash asked, after finishing his third plate of food.

"Come again?"

"Misty, ya know? Have you seen her?"

"Well, she's awfully busy at that gym of hers. I heard she's on a real big winning streak," Ash's mom replied, smiling.

"Well, she's a great trainer, probably has gotten a lot better. I wonder what it would be like if I fought her again," Ash laughed.

"Well, why don't you go ahead and see her?" Ash's mom said, "I'm sure she'd love it."

"Ya mean it?"

"Yeah! I'm sure of it! The last time I saw her was a couple years back, and she kept saying how she wanted to know where you were. Such a beautiful girl she is."

"I'm sure she's still scrawny," Ash laughed.

"She's filled out a bit," Ash's mom replied, "Tastefully, of course."

"What, is she fat now or something?"

"Not at all," Ash's mom replied, "Still very—er—slender."

"So she's still scrawny?"

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"Well, okay, I'll go see her tomorrow. After breakfast. But first, lemme just get some fourths…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Ash rose from his bed early the next morning, yawning loudly as he stretched his arms. It had been awhile since he had slept in his own bed. His mother had preserved it almost like a shrine, every object in its proper place, yet spotless, without a single trace of dust. Ash wondered, in his head, how much had been his mother cleaning the room and how much had it been Mr. Mime's psychic cleaning methods?

Ash knew it was almost definitely the latter.

Ash descended the stairs, only to have the scents of bacon fill his nose and the sound of his mother's voice enter into his ears. "Oh, she isn't!—It's amazing how they just seem to grow up so fast, right?—So she's setting off on her Pokemon journey already, huh? That's something—didn't even know she wanted to be a trainer—Uh-huh—yeah, I'll be sure to tell him later—Uh-huh—what's that? Oh! Yeah, she is—Idolized? I'm sure she'd be flattered!—Oh! Gotta go! Bacons burning! I'll call you later!" His mother hung the phone up hastily as she turned toward the food, hastily scrapping it off the pan.

Upon finding food, Ash forgot about the phone call, choosing instead to focus 100% of his energies on that delicious meal before his eyes. A smile on his lips, he dove into it headlong, his mother choosing to go with a rather smaller dish: coffee with eggs. Upon finishing, having choked on the food in his mad rush more than once, he sighed, smiling slightly to himself as he turned toward his mother.

"I'm gonna head out a little later, alright?"

His mother's face fell slightly. "What? But you just got here."

"Well, I wanna stay, and I'll be right back, I just wanna go to Cerulean to—"

"Oh, that's a Ponyta of a different color!" his mother laughed, waving his concern away, "Not a problem."

"Pika?" Pikachu scurried down the stairway, having slept slightly longer than Ash. He bounded onto Ash's shoulder, a grin on its little mouse-like lips. Ash grinned back. He knew what to expect. He was a Pokemon; it was probably in his instincts to know when he was going to have a reunion with his dear friends.

"We're gonna go see Misty, Pikachu. You'd like that, wouldn't ya?" Ash said to the little yellow creature, who squeaked in excitement, smiling as it cocked its head ever so slightly.

"Now, listen, I knew you'd be leaving for Cerulean, and I have got to say, I don't think you should go dressed like that," Ash's mom said, gesturing toward Ash's attire.

"Huh? Whadya mean?"

"You've been wearing that same outfit all over Sinnoh. I'm sure it's just disgusting right about now."

"Well, I wash it all the—"

"You need something slightly different, Ash," his mother declared, turning toward a closet, withdrawing a package from its dark depths. She handed it to her son, a broad grin filling her face. "Go ahead. I made it just for you when you got back."

"Thanks," Ash said, uncertainty filling his voice. Yes, his mother was a great seamstress and all, but he had grown accustomed to his clothing. What could possibly replace—

The moment the familiar blue and white filled his vision, he knew his mother was right.

"Mom, I haven't worn this since Misty left," Ash replied, staring at his old uniform, his old attire, now expanded to fit his larger form. He even saw his old hat in lying on the hanger, the one he had to send in a million post cards to get. He chuckled as he remembered Misty had tried getting the same hat once (but she just sent one in).

That was a fairly random memory to remember.

"Listen, I have a bag all packed up for ya, with some spare underwear and—"

"Mom! Were you planning on kicking me out so soon?"

"That's not it, I just—"

"It's alright! I know what you mean." Ash smiled as he turned away, Pikachu hopping on his shoulder as Ash prepared to go into more private corners to change. However, the sound of his mother's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait! I almost forgot!"

"What is it?" Ash asked, turning around.

"I got a phone call earlier. An old friend is heading up toward Cerulean too."

"What? Really? Who?"

#

Misty stood standing before the field of water, waiting patiently as the seconds passed, waiting slowly, waiting carefully, for the challenger to arrive. Nathanael's declaration rang through her head as the seconds passed, as she waited for the next arrival, perhaps the last arrival. Who knew, really? Were people going to just avoid her gym now that it was, for all intents and purposes, condemned?

"Will the challenger please step forward?" Jean replied, her voice bored and monotone, as though she was asking herself in her brain of all the beaches she could be laying in as opposed to taking orders from a girl significantly younger than herself.

There stood the challenger, standing in the doorway, slowly taking step after step closer to the floating foam panels that covered the pool. There was something distinct about this young girl It was a young looking girl, perhaps no more than ten or eleven. Her brown hair was separated into two chunks of hair, two long buns, a slightly nervous yet excited glint in her eyes. Misty had seen that look all before, but, for whatever reason, there was something else about this newcomer. Misty didn't know the name of the challenger, as she had long since stopped keeping track of the names of all the people who lost against her (it reminded her of all the close calls she had in regards to causing permanent damage to the Pokemon, or even trainers).

"Alright, the challenger steps forward," Jean said, her voice bored, "Remember: this is an official league match, blah-blah-blah, challenger steps forward."

The girl withdrew a Poke-ball from her hip, a small grin on her lips. Why did that girl look so familiar? But she must be a new trainer from Pallet or Viridian. Maybe she had passed her by on one of her visits there. Nothing special.

"You know, I've really looked up to you for years, so to be able to finally fight you is a real treat," the girl said, in a slightly nervous voice, so sweet and high.

"Oh really?" Misty replied, smiling slightly, "Well, I suppose I'll take that as a complement. Are you ready to fight?"

"Okay, I just think it'll turn out different than the last time we fought."

"Wait, what?"

The girl tossed the ball into the air, the sphere exploding into light as a Kingdra emerged into the water. A Kingdra was not a very common Pokemon at all. Hell, Misty herself didn't have one, even though she had her Horsea for years. She stared in disbelief at the Pokemon before her. How did THAT get here? She just didn't understand one bit. Maybe it was a family Pokemon? Yeah, that had to be it.

However, one thing for certain was it was powerful.

"Alright, well, guess I'll call in Gyarados!" Misty declared, summoning her serpentine partner from its small ball, the beast writhing throughout the water as it rose into the air, glaring down at the Kingdra.

The young girl grinned at the sight of the beast, not intimidated in the least. "I didn't know you had a Kingdra, Misty! Alright, guess it's time for a Bubblebeam!" Jets of bubbles burst from the Kingdra's snout-like mouth, bubbles that Gyarados evaded, choosing instead to wrap around the enemy Kingdra in a hasty move, constricting it simply on instinct, its massive jaws looming over it.

"Gyarados! End it quickly! Use bite!" Misty couldn't take chances with a Pokemon like Kingdra. She knew better than to give it a second to land a blow. Those creatures were super powerful. As her Gyarados lunged forward, the sea-horse Pokemon released a torrent of black inky smoke, the gas colliding into Gyarados's face. The creature reeled backward as his view was completely obstructed. And, to Misty's horror, she watched as the Kingdra realed its head back, its mouth filling with water that exploded forward, slamming headlong into the helpless Gyarados!

Once she saw Gyarados's skull puncture the ceiling of the gym, she knew this fight wasn't gonna be easy.

Gyarados fell back into the pool shortly after, but by then Kingdra was ready for it. At the command of its master, the enemy Pokemon, with a flick of its head, summoned a great wave from the pool, a wave that drained the liquidy surface of its mass, the great wall of water surging higher into the air. Gyarados was helpless as it too was dragged into the wave, pulled parallel to the ground in the cresting water above Misty's head.

The only chance was to take Kingdra down first.

"Gyarados! Hyper Beam!" A jet of energy exploded from Misty's Pokemon's open jaws, a beam that slammed straight into Kingdra. The seahorse was forced into the ground, the magnitude of impact literally causing the gym to tremble. The wave drifted above the ground for an instance before tumbling down over Misty's head. Thankfully, she held her breath for the instance of impact, finding herself almost rejuvenated after being smothered in her own pool water. Gyarados, however, was not so lucky. It was lying on the surface of the water, weak, unconscious, defeated.

"Both Gyarados and Kingdra are unable to battle," Jean stammered, in stunned silence.

Misty turned toward Gyarados, a tender expression on her face. "Good job, Gyarados. You earned a good rest." With a quick click of her Poke-ball, the great massive beast returned to its tiny home. The opponent did the same with her Kingdra, turning over to Misty with a grin on her lips.

"I take it the next match decides it?"

"What gives you that idea?" Misty asked.

"Last time we fought, it was two Pokemon too, so I'm guessing—"

"Just who—"

"Ursuring!" With a sudden flash of light, the girl summoned the massive bear Pokemon, the bear that roared at the top of its lungs at Misty. With a frown, Misty resigned herself to the fact that it was impossible to learn just who this girl was until after one of them emerged the victor. As she felt the rush of adrenaline fill her veins, it was clear who SHOULD be the winner: the gym leader.

"Okay, Staryu! Go!" Misty summoned her star-shaped Pokemon, a beast that darted through the air upon being summoned, spinning like a top at Ursuring, who dove toward the disk, tackling it in its great arms. It held the Pokemon down as it drew its claws above the beast's head, slamming its paws again and again against its jewel. A jet of water exploded from its upper point, surging into the bear's chest as Ursuring was thrown into the air. The beast landed in the water, the resounding splash magnificent.

"Good thing Ursuring can swim!" laughed the girl, "Usuring, pummel that Staryu!"

The bear swam through the water, but, compared to Staryu's graceful movements, Ursuring was but a slug on a slime trail. The star hurdled through the water, separating it under the magnitude of its motion, as it slammed headlong into the beast, throwing Ursuring into the air, into the stands. Staryu rose into the air, landing at Misty's side, pumping its star appendages in triumph, just as Misty punched the air happily in return.

Ursuring, however, rose to its feet, glaring at Staryu. It leapt up, about to attack, when Jean called out "Ursuring is out of bounds! The match goes to—"

"That's a stupid way to end the match," Misty replied, frowning, "Let Ursuring back in."

The opponent grinned as the great bear darted down the stairs, hopping on a floating panel on the pool, extending each of its claws. With a grin, the girl shouted, "Use Rage!"

"Hydro Pump!"

The oncoming torrent of water slammed into Ursuring's chest, failing to stop the Pokemon as it leapt forward, at the speed of a meteor falling to Earth, as it swiped at Staryu once in range, knocking it, and Misty, off their panel. As Misty swam to another panel, Ursuring snagged Misty's, in its hands, and heaved it over his head. With a sudden swing, he swatted Staryu aside, slamming it against the opposite wall, only to throw the panel straight at the poor creature!

Staryu managed to dodge.

Ursuring, however, found himself no longer standing on any platform.

The poor beast struggled to swim, but, in its rage, couldn't focus on the simple act of swimming. The poor beast started to drown, only for the opponent to recall the poor thing. Staryu was soon recalled in a similar fashion as Jean declared Misty the victor. However, Misty knew deep down that, had the location been different, she would've lost. She would've lost to a NEW trainer. Now that is something. She reached into her pocket, and swam to the little girl, who seemed somewhat down that she had lost, yet not surprised.

"Hey, listen, whether you won or not, I think you deserve this Cascade Badge," Misty replied, extending her hand.

"Misty! We only give that out to people who win—"

"Jean, please, not now."

"Misty, thank you so much! I didn't think this would happen when I came for our rematch."

"That's another thing," Misty replied, frowning slightly, "I'm not sure I recognize you. How old were you when we first fought, exactly? You keep mentioning some other time we fought, but i don't remember fighting people younger than you, except maybe…that one time…" Misty's eyes widened as the memories came flooding back to her. The girl grinned at this, cocking her head to the side.

"I knew you'd remember."

"You're Molly Hale, aren't you?" Misty stammered, taking a single step back in surprise.

"That's right. You do remember me."

She was so much like that seven year old they had met. How had Misty not seen it sooner? The hair? The face? Even the Pokemon were the same, albeit now made of flesh and blood and not the sheer personification of imagination, but regardless, they were the same. "In Johto—that must've been over four or five years ago!" Misty stammered, "With the Unown, and Entei, and Ash's mom, and the Pokemon you created—I didn't realize you became a trainer!"

"Well, I guess you can say you guys inspired me. You told me I'd be able to become a gym leader easily, just like you, so here I am!" Molly cocked her head yet again, smiling.

"Well, I just hope you don't turn out like me."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I'm kinda being let go as a gym leader, Molly."

"What?"

#

"There is a man here to—"

"I know why he's here. Send him in."

She sat in her throne overlooking her battle arena, her eyes closed in concentration as the figure walked in. She knew what he looked like: shabby attire, loosely applied, laid back appearance. She could almost smell that aspect of his self, of his personality, from his open mind, his unguarded psyche. It was almost painful for Sabrina to be in his presence.

He was an unguarded open book.

"So you're the psychic Sabrina, is that right?" the man, Nathanael Butler, asked, walking into the chamber.

"That's correct."

"They say you're psychic, is that true?"

"I'm sure you know the answer to that already, Mr. Butler." It took all of Sabrina's self-control not to send Kadabra on him now, ready to throw him out. His message, his hateful, loathsome message, was one Sabrina had no desire to listen to, or even give a moment of her time to hear. If anything, she would love to just tell him no at that instant, tell him that she'd never give up her gym, that she'd fight for her gym.

But, alas, he was a league official. She couldn't simply reject him so easily.

She needed to be discrete.

"If you're psychic, then can you make a prediction?" Nathanael asked, curiously.

"I predict you're going to leave disappointed," Sabrina grumbled, rising from her seat as her body was ensnared in an azure aura. Her hair levitated strand by strand as she rose into the air, her hands outstretched as sparks of blue surrounded her. She landed a good fifteen feet away from Nathanael, who laughed at the display. "You are unimpressed?"

"Not that. It seems so unnecessary when you can just stand and walk over here. But excuse that little bit of amusement. Since you're psychic, you should know why I'm here. Your gym is, quite simply, overpowered. It has been for years. According to my records, only fifteen trainers have ever won—no, I'm sorry, there's a smudge on the page—FIVE trainers have ever received a Marsh Badge. Your gym has the reputation for being virtually unbeatable, and your levels of skill is, quite literally, on par with the Elite Four."

"So you feel that, by removing me, you'll solve the issue. However, you're more than willing to give me back my gym if I pleasure you, is that it?" Nathanael's eyes widened in shock for an instant before it contorted into restrained rage.

"You mind readers always enjoy seeing brief, momentary thoughts in the back of my—"

"Don't lie to me. You were expecting one of the gym leaders to give into that threat. Do not deceive me. I can't be fooled. I never am fooled." Sabrina glared at Nathanael, her eyes glowing white as her irises and pupils disappeared into as singularity. "If you try to strip me of my control over this building, I'll see to it that every ball of slime that tries to steal this place will be left mindless vegetables, starting with you."

Nathanael's eyes widened yet again as he drew backward, laughing. "Let's not be hasty here. I'll be back in two months with a crew of Indigo officers if I have to. Let's do this the peaceful way."

"Peaceful?" What had happened to being discrete? What had happened to tact? Sabrina felt her emotions, emotions she had for years rejected, swell up. She remained stoic, she remained clam, and yet couldn't contain one last burst of fury as she shouted at the top of her lungs, "I'D RATHER BURN IN HELL THAN RELINQUISH MY FAMILY'S GYM!"

Nathanael was silent for a moment as Sabrina felt her lungs pulsate furiously with oxygen. The stillness crescendo and died as the man smirked, turning on his heels as he left Sabrina alone. "Shame. You're kinda cute, too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

"So they're taking the gym away from you?" Molly asked, her eyes wide as she stared at her broken role model, her head lowered in shame.

"Yeah," Misty sighed, weakly, "It's just ridiculous. Just because I'm really strong, they have to tear this place down. I mean, I've been gym leader for so long, and now they're just taking it all away."

"Isn't there something you can do?"

"Nope. Notta thing," Misty replied, attempting to smile. She couldn't look so sad in front of someone who had traveled such a long way to comfort her, such a long way to help her feel better. It was ridiculous, a grown woman (she was 18 now, anyway) like herself sobbing in front of a little girl, relying on the younger child to cheer her up. Weren't kids supposed to go to older people for advice? Why had the roles been reversed? After all, it wasn't even like she knew Molly all that well. The last time they had met, Molly had kidnapped Ash's mom.

Ash.

"Well, couldn't you argue the case to the league?" Molly asked, "My papa did help supply them with a lot of information on the Unown and all, so maybe they'd listen if I gave him a call and asked him to help you out. Besides, it isn't fair if they just start picking on you like that!"

"Well, it isn't just me," Misty replied, finding herself smiling for real. Molly was such a cute kid. Believing that a call to her dad would solve anything. The League had its own politics, and even a Pokemon Researcher like Spencer Hale couldn't really do much to influence the new management Nathanael had referenced. That slime ball, for all his faults, was entirely right: Misty WAS too intense with her challengers. She had almost hurt so many people. Maybe it was time for her to step down.

"What do you mean it isn't just you?"

"Well, ya see, they're also kicking the Saffron and Vermillion City leaders out of their gyms, too, and—"

"How far away are they from here?" Molly asked, critically.

"Uh, not too far. Why?"

"Well, we should go there and talk to the other leaders," Molly explained, simply, "Maybe try to get a protest started or something like that."

"I don't know if that's the best idea," Misty said, sighing, "Lt. Surge is a tad sexist, not to mention rather violent. He enjoys hospitalizing Pokemon. I'm sure he'd fight the League, but even so, I don't think he'd listen to either of us, or even try altering his methods to fit League standards. And then there's Sabrina. Well, she's not nearly as intense as she was, but she's still a—she's kinda—how do I say this politely? She's a little too out there to talk to."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, she's a psychic, and she sorta—well, she kinda—she scares me. Ya see, when Ash first fought her, she turned us into dolls."

"She did?" Molly stammered, her eyes widened in shock.

"Yup, but then we got her to laugh, and that—" Misty's voice trailed off as she remembered the exact events that had transpired that day. The events that had been all because of Ash's lucky break with Haunter, with that ghost saving them, with Ash being so happy afterwards as he held the badge in his hands, with that broad grin he always wore, the sun shinning and glinting off his teeth. That beautiful halo of light behind his head.

And, at that moment, Misty lowered her head.

"Misty? What's the matter?" Molly asked, deeply concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing," Misty replied, sighing, "It's just I feel a little nostalgic is all. No big—"

Jean pushed open the door leading to her office. At once, Misty composed herself. She couldn't look weak in front of her employees, especially one who seemed to love it when she could do nothing all day, like Jean. If Misty looked weak, Jean might take advantage of that. "We have a visitor here asking for you."

"Another one? I don't think I scheduled anyone. If it's that guy from the league—"

"It isn't—well, it isn't really, in any case. Technically, she's part of the league, but—"

"Spit it out."

Jean glared at her boss through narrowed eyes before mumbling, "It's another gym leader. Sabrina."

"Speak of the devil—Send her in," Misty replied, her eyes widening. What if Sabrina heard what Misty was saying about her—no, she'd know! Mind reading powers! She'd know what Misty was saying about her behind her back, and then—wait! What if she thought about a brick wall? Maybe Sabrina wouldn't see her hidden thoughts that way. Yeah, it would work! Brick wall… Brick wall…! Brick wall!

There entered the Psychic trainer, her long locks of hair trailing behind her like the ephemeral tails of several deceased Gastly, her dark eyes staring ahead of her at all times, the very presence of her sending a chill up Misty's spine. Misty had seen Sabrina laugh after the last time Ash fought her, but at that moment, every fiber of Sabrina's face was devoted to utmost frustration, vehemence, unbridled fury.

Misty didn't need to be a psychic to know where the fury was directed.

"He just told you, didn't he?" Misty asked, frowning.

Sabrina didn't respond, but rather walked toward Misty's desk, glancing at the photographs covering it. Misty felt her face fill with red. It was one thing that she had psychic powers and her mind wasn't safe from her probing, but her personal space in the material world was quite another thing! Misty placed herself between Sabrina and the desk, only for the foreign gym leader to glance at the photograph of Ash. The woman smiled for a brief second before turning back toward Misty.

"You know, he was the last one to ever get the Marsh badge." Misty didn't need to ask who "he" referenced. "He showed me a new sort of power after we met: the power of love. Love, joy, happiness, it's amazing how that improves fighting and leading a gym. In fact, it made winning, for lack of a better word, fun. Shame it turns out like this." Sabrina turned away, glancing at the pool the office overlooked, people swarming in water, splashing each other, Pokemon dancing on the water's surface or deep below in the depths of the blue. "Your building is going to be torn down. This place of joy will be removed."

"Did you read my mind to learn that?" Misty asked.

"No, his." Sabrina turned toward Misty and Molly, frowning. "His mind is a far filthier place than either of you can imagine."

"Did he offer you that same way out as he did me?" Misty asked, hoping to word the conversation in a way so as to not be inappropriate in front of Molly.

"He tried to have sex with me, yes."

For a psychic, she didn't get the hint!

"What?" Sabrina asked as she glanced at Misty's fuming expression, "She knows what it means."

"What! How do you know that sort of stuff, Molly! I didn't even know what it meant at your age!"

Molly blushed deep red as she glanced aside. "Well, one day I kinda had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, after mom came back, and, well—"

"She walked in on her parents," Sabrina said, bluntly.

"Will you shut up!" Misty snapped.

"I apologize," Sabrina replied, frowning, "But the point of the matter is that Nathanael Butler has some secrets that, if revealed, will help us out greatly."

"What do ya mean by that, exactly?" Misty asked, certain she knew where this plot was leading.

Sabrina smirked at this, but it was not an amused grin so much as a foul, insidious thing that sent more chills up Misty's spine than even the most nightmarish dream Darkrai could muster. "You needn't know just yet. Rest assured, though, that if I told you now, you'd do something drastic. It's best if you don't know yet. In a game of chess, it's best for the pieces to be arranged perfectly before declaring checkmate. If we act too soon, the King may evade our capture, and then where will we be?"

"So what do you want us to do?" Misty asked.

"I want you to follow my lead," chuckled Sabrina, "You will do as I say, and the first thing I say is to find a very strong trainer."

"A strong trainer?" Misty asked, "But aren't we all strong enough already?"

"We are, but we need stronger. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," Sabrina responded, "We are going to wage war against Nathanael Butler."

"Why him in particular? This is a league decision."

"Yes, but he proposed the idea of demolishing the three gyms to the League. If we ruin him, we'll ruin his ideas, and, in turn, turn the tides in our favor."

"He proposed—the bastard!" Misty stammered, her eyes narrowed. So it was all his fault for all this? New management? He must have sweet talked the entire league into following his plan. But why? What did Nathanael have to gain by shutting down three gyms in the Kanto region? What did he have to gain? He could see the league benefiting due to higher attendance rates, but even so, why should Nathanael care? Was he simply working to help the league? No, he seemed too slimy for that. There was something else. "Okay, I'll find some really strong trainers, don't worry."

"Good. I'll be taking my leave," Sabrina said, turning to depart from the room. Before leaving, however, Sabrina glanced over her shoulder, and said, "By the way, do you really think my smile is scarier than Darkrai's worst nightmare, or are you just trying to flatter me?"

#

"C'mon! Move faster, Tauros!" Ash snapped, riding close against the bumpy back of his pokemon, Pikachu clinging to dear life on the hair of the beast as it hurdled through the wilderness of the Viridian Forest, twigs snapping against his face as he passed by. Riding on foot would've been easier, but slower. Riding on Pokemon back seemed logical at first if he wanted to see Misty quickly, but even so, Ash had long ago lost feeling in his groin considering all the times the beast's shoulder blades, or vertebrae, or whatever painful bone was jamming into his private areas. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but knew that would just attract a boatload of Beedrill, a species of Pokemon that, at that moment, were currently pursuing them with the ferocity of a mad dog let off the chain.

That is, after all, what happens when you tackle headlong through their nests.

Tauros was fast; not bright.

He frantically glanced over his shoulder time and time again, terrified at the prospect of the Beedrill ensnaring him, of the Bedrill stabbing him, penetrating his flesh with those nightmarishly pointy appendages of theirs. One Beedrill was in hot pursuit, drawing back its sharp, pyramid shaped blade, ready to stab straight into the back of Ash's head! Pikachu leapt forward, ready to take the blow, as his checks clenched, sparks exploding from them, every volt squeezed from the fiber with the intensity of a power plant exploding. The jolts of energy slammed into the metallic iron rod, frying the flying Pokemon, sending it against a tree, where it remained still and weak.

"Pikachu! Why don't ya—OW—just—OW—shock 'em all—OW—like—TAUROS! YOU'RE HITTING MY NADS! OWOWOWOWOW!"

Pikachu paused for a moment, realizing this act of stupidity, how indeed he could've just shocked all the Beedrill out of the sky, before clenching his entire body, the volts of energy exploding outward from its body in a great net of yellow light. It ensnared the Beedrill, locking them within the grasp of Pikachu's electric fingers, their bodies groped and ravaged before being left weak on the ground, paralyzed and unconscious. Pikachu smiled at his work before grabbing on for dear life to Tauros's fur.

Finally, after Ash began to question whether he'd be able to bare children later in life, the walls of trees opened up before them, leading toward the open clearing before them, the city of Pewter lying before him, a smile on his lips, a smile that was wiped away once Tauros came to a halt, throwing Ash forward, rocketing him into a nearby stone, his head cracking into the surface as stars surrounded his view.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu queried, leaping toward Ash's side as he rose up to his feet, rubbing his bruised scalp.

"It's okay, don't worry," Ash replied, quelling his friend's concerns as he felt blood on the tips of his fingers. Looks like he landed a little harder than he thought. He returned Tauros to his Poke ball before darting off with Pikachu toward the town, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head. He was a little dizzy, but that wasn't a big deal, right? It was just a small issue, nothing dramatic at all. After all, here was Pewter City, the world where Brock's family dwelled. Maybe they could lend him an Onyx to ride or something LESS painful to ride. After all, Onyx didn't have legs, so maybe it would be less painful to ride that one, right?

Ash stumbled forward, rolling over the ground, after having lost his balance. Why was he so out of whack today? He rose to his feet, Pikachu chirping in a concerned fashion toward him. "Don't worry, Pikachu! I'm fine—"

"You don't look fine," a gruff voice mumbled. Ash glanced up at the sound of this voice to see a familiar face, tanned skin, messy hair sticking out of his scalp, his eyes squinted so tightly it almost looked as though his eyes were shut. He jumped up at the sight of the newcomer, his eyes wide, in stark contrast to his almost closed eyes.

"Brock?"

Ash took a second to look at the figure again, only to notice the laugh lines across his face, the deep set wrinkles. Clearly that couldn't be his familiar friend, no. It was someone else, someone far different: Flint, Brock's father. Yeah, who else could look THAT much like his friend and yet look so much older? Had to be him. "No, wait, you're his dad Flint, right?" Judging by the smile on the man's lips, Ash knew he was correct. Didn't matter how hard you hit your head on a rock: you don't forget people you meet like that, even if the last time you saw them was years ago.

"Well, it's been awhile since I've seen you, Ash," Flint replied in his guttural, raspy voice, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was just on my way to Cerulean, and I sorta had some trouble," Ash replied, laughing.

"Sure ya don't want to spend the night here? You have a big cut on your head."

"A cut?" Ash tenderly pressed his fingers again against the injury, finding there to be a big more blood than he remembered on his skin. He sighed. Maybe it was a good idea to get that checked out.

"Come with me, we're just taking care of the children. Forrest is just facing another challenger."

"Forrest?"

Forrest turned out to be Brock's younger brother. Ash's first sighting of the child was seeing his Steelix slam a challenger's helpless Butterfree against a wall, the creature leaving an imprint in the wall to Ash's shock. The brutal trainer stared at the challenger, a young girl who stared in horror as her Butterfree slowly pressed herself out of the pink streamers and painted surfaces, at which Ash needed to reexamine the gym. Forrest was fighting a brutal battle in what appeared to be a five year old girl's bedroom! Pink paint smeared the walls as streamers dangled above their heads. Steelix's austere brilliance was in great contrast with the exciting pink backdrop, an emphasize further exaggerated by Steelix's Iron Tail attack, a blow that slammed the already beaten Butterfree deeper into the ground, at which it laid weakly on the floor, stunned.

"It looks like I win. Steelix, return!" Forrest declared, recalling Steelix to his ball as the opponent fell to her knees, staring at her beaten Butterfree with astonishment.

"Butters—are you okay Butters?" the girl asked, slowly scooping her Butterfree into her arms, staring in horror at the poor creature.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Flint said, taking a few steps forward, "This entire gym is filled with padding. The rocks are only surface level. If you were to stomp on 'em hard enough, they'd give. It looked violent, but I wouldn't worry. It's fine."

"Are you sure?" the girl asked, tenderly stroking the Butterfree under its chin.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to hurt your Pokemon too much," Forrest said, "Besides, in some fights, you need to be prepared for the enemy to be brutal. You need to train your Pokemon more before challenging me again."

"Okay. Thanks for the tip," the visibly shaken girl mumbled before turning away, hugging her Butterfree for dear life as though she had just landed on the ground after sky diving from space, grateful to finally grab hold of something stable, her legs shaking as though grateful to walk on solid ground.

Once the girl left, Forrest sighed, lowering his head, a smile on his lips. "So you're Ash, huh?"

"How did you know?" Ash asked, curiously.

"Oh, it's pretty clear. You're dressed exactly the same as I remember you." Ash had forgotten he was wearing the once familiar blue and white jacket over his black shirt, the jeans, the old hat, for only a moment. He was, after all, in pain from that damn impact against the rock and the accursed Tauros's ball jabbing. Thought wasn't the first priority in his brain.

"Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get to Cerulean city as fast as I can. Do you know a short cut, or perhaps a transport system, or even a Pokemon I can borrow to get there faster?"

"Well, as far as I know the fastest way is through Mt. Moon," Forrest replied.

"Oh, you guys! There's always an easier way."

A high voice? Was that one of Brock's sisters grown up? But that couldn't be right. It had to be someone else. Ash turned around at the sound of that voice to see a new figure emerging from the rockwork, her head lowered, her eyes much unlike the other's squinty eyelids. She was standing tall before them, a grin on her slightly rounded face, her frame older. Was this Brock's mom? It had to be; who else could it be?

"Wait, weren't you dead?" Ash asked, "I thought Flint told me you passed away."

"Huh?" the woman asked, curiously.

"Wait, you can't be Brock's mom. Can't be a dead person."

"Uh, Ash, this is Lola, my wi—"

"A family photographer? Nah, wouldn't make—Ah! You're the interior decorator, aren't ya!"

"Well, I am, but—"

"Ha! I knew it! Brock would never let his gym get covered in pink."

"Ash, this is my wife, Lola."

"Oh, so you remarried, Flint?"

"No, this is really my wife. My only wife."

"You told this boy I was dead, Flint?"

"Well, you were on a Pokemon journey, and I was trying to make Ash feel bad for Brock, and dead sounds a whole lot better than you just going out on a Pokemon journey."

"Point taken."

"Wait, YOU LIED TO ME ABOUT BROCK'S MOM PASSING AWAY?" Ash stammered, his eyes widened.

"Wow, he's fast on the uptake, isn't he?" Lola replied, "Anyway, listen, you want a way to Cerulean? There's an underwater current that leads straight there, but you need a pretty strong Water Pokemon to navigate it, and it just so happens I'm a water Pokemon trainer."

Ash's lips curled into a grin.

#

"Lt. Surge, I presume?" The blonde haired, muscle bound gym leader turned at the sound of his name, as did his two cronies on either side. There before them stood the man, the league official whose attire was rather sloppy. He looked as though he had dressed himself half asleep (maybe he had). He was a weak, soft suit. He wasn't a fighter, and certainly not strong by his standards. The lieutenant chuckled at this, arms folded over his gigantic chest.

"You guessed right. You're that league official, right? Natty?"

"It's Nathanael, actually. Nathanael Butler," the newcomer replied, chuckling, "Quite an amusing fella, Lt. Surge. Tell me, did you ever really serve in the army or did you choose the name because it sounded cool."

"I was actually in the army, and I keep the name because it sounds cool, so both." This guy wasn't so bad so far. Kind of amusing guy, even if he was a weak suit. This shouldn't be too difficult of a meeting. Maybe he'd even ask the guy for a drink later, just to get on his good side, along with the league's good side.

"Well then, Lt. Surge, listen very carefully, because I have a lot to say in a short amount of time. The league has realized that, out of all the gym leaders, your methods are by far the most brutal and intense."

"I pride myself on that," the gym leader replied, smiling proudly, "Glad the league finally realized the sheer intensity of my training."

"In fact, we calculated that, despite handing out a grand total of twenty four Thunder Badges in your time of gym leader, we realized that the overwhelming majority of those who earned the Thunder Badge had to fight you a second or even third time to earn it, having lost previously."

"Exactly! We have a reputation as being one of the toughest gyms in the whole Kanto region," Lt. Surge laughed, glad the league was finally appreciating his skill. His cronnies at either side of him laughed at this too, clearly amused by their own might, as well they should be. They often kept the weaker trainers from even darkening their doorstep with pathetic trainers. They were elite gym leaders.

"It would appear, though, that your skill is causing the league a minor issue."

"What was that?"

"Because you're beating so many trainers, the Indigo League tournament's attendance rate has dropped significantly in the past several years. In fact, it's gotten so bad that we've done some investigation on the matter, and realized that Cerulean City, Saffron City, and Vermillion City's gyms were so difficult that most trainers can't beat them, and, in some cases, outright stop trying to be a trainer altogether."

"What's your point?" Lt. Surge grumbled, his emotions toward the man before him contorting and twisting in fiery rage, hatred burning in his chest as his callused fingers clenched into a mighty fist.

"Well, it would be in the league's best interest if we let you go, simply put," Nathanael said, patting Surge on the shoulder, turning around as the leader's rage reached breaking point.

"Wait—! What the hell do you mean by that! I served the League for years, and I never heard any kind of crap like firing gym leaders! The only time a gym leader ever got let go was in Saffron City when the former gym leader of that fightin' dojo was beaten by Sabrina! This is garbage!"

"I'm afraid whether it's garbage or not is really irrelevant. It is. That's all that matters." Lt. Surge glared at Nathanael as he spoke, that pompous soft suit. He knew he was a bastard the moment he came in here. Yeah, surely. The Lieutenant glanced at his underlings, and the two cronies drew nearer, withdrawing their Poke balls from their hips as Lt. Surge summoned his Raichu, a beast that leapt upon his broad, massive shoulders, its tail wrapped fiercely around the lieutenant's massive neck.

"Rai…"

From his underlings' balls emerged a quartet of Electabuzz, each one glaring at their target, a fierce expression on their faces as they clenched their fists into balls, sparks flying from their bodies. However, rather than feel pressured, or even intimidated, Nathanael only chuckled to himself, reaching into his jacket pocket, four Poke-balls between his fingers.

"Oh, I see how it is. I really am not too fond of violence, but I suppose in situations like this, I may as well play to your game!" Nathanael tossed each of the four spheres into the air, each one exploding into light. There, before the field, emerged four massive Pokemon that slammed into the floor, the entire Earth trembling under their mass. Lt. Surge recognized each one of them: a fearsome four-armed Machamp, a hulking Tyranitar, a searing hot Magmortar, and, to Lt. Surge's greatest fury, a massive Rhyperior. Two rock types in an electric centered gym. He had planned for this, surely.

The Electabuzz darted inward first, only to be thrown backward as Magmortar fired a round of great, massive fire balls into their abdomens, throwing them backward. Upon hitting the walls, the balls of fire exploded outward, ripping the gym walls apart, fissures spreading across their surfaces. Lt. Surge could only stare in horror as the walls were torn apart. This was HIS gym, and this bastard was demolishing it on his own! How dare he! How dare that stinking bastard do this to his gym! His comrades drew more Pokeballs, summoning a hoard of Magneton, six to be exact, that lunged toward the Magmortar. However, the Rhyperior and Tyranitar leapt into action.

"Rhyperior, Megahorn. Tyranitar, Hyper Beam," Nathanael ordered, serenely.

"Raichu, knock Rhyperior away with a Thundebolt!" Lt. Surge shouted, hastily, as Tyranitar and Rhyperior drew back. However, just as Raichu leapt off of Lt. Surge's shoulders, Machamp came into action, drawing back his fists, only to slam two headlong into the orange rodent's abdomen, throwing him aside. Lt. Surge watched in horror as his Pokemon shrieked in pain. He had seen his comrades in battle with that same expression on their faces, those pained, mortified expressions, filled with anguish and pain.

He heard the same shrieks once more as he watched Tyranitar's Hyper Beam collide into the first Magneton, tearing through the air, straight through the wall opposite it. With a great twist of his head, the Tyranitar dragged the blast across the wall before him, into the Magneton before him, into the very heart of the gym before him. Lt. Surge watched as each Magneton was thrown away, through the walls of the facility. The Electabuzz from before were stirring now, pushing themselves up, as they watched in horror at the wreckage.

Rhyperior's Megahorn drilled straight into the nearest Electabuzz's chest.

Lt. Surge could hear its ribs shatter.

The other Electabuzz fired bolts of electricity at the Rhyperior, all the volts targeted at the horn. However, as though on cue, Tyranitar dove in the way, taking the blow, his body unaffected by the energy as he lumbered closer, a fearsome expression on his face. However, a bolt from far away soared behind Tyrannitar, ensnaring Rhyperior's horn, ensnaring him in electricity. Lt. Surge watched in joy as the enemy Pokemon was sent flying, straight out of the gym wall, and, to his utmost glee, into the ocean near the gym. He could hear the splash, hear the screams of pain, and that, for one brief instant, gave Surge joy. He turned to see the source of the energy, only to see Raichu rising from the rubble, its tail outstretched, sparks flying from his bruised and battered body.

"Way t' go Rai—" Lt. Surge's words were muffled as a fist collided against his face. The gym leader turned to see Machamp drawing its fists back yet again, ready to punch down Surge. Hastily, the leader evaded the second and third punches, drawing his own fist back to slug the Pokemon across the face. However, he caught his fist, twisting his arm around until Surge felt the bones snap.

The bastard just broke his arm. The damn Machamp bastard JUST BROKE HIS ARM! He couldn't let that stop him. His Pokemon were fighting, so it was only fair that HE fought with them. He drew back his good fist, slamming it across Machamp's face as Raichu leapt to his side, his eyes filled with rage. He drew back his sparkling long tail, the bolt at the end glowing brilliant amber as he slashed it across Machamp's chest! Bolts exploded in all directions as Machamp was thrown backward. He caught himself, however, and glared at the little rodent. Machamp threw punch after punch at Raichu, but the mouse was too fast for him.

After that one kid beat him with a Pikachu beat Surge, he had learned from his mistake: train Raichu to be fast. Speed was just as important as raw power. And, in the end, that made him a stronger trainer. Learning from failure was instrumental, as Machamp was soon going to see.

However, at that moment the sound of a great crack filled the air. To his horror, he glanced over to see Magmortar stomping his comrade's bodies into the ground, the earth literally shattering under the force as the fire Pokemon fired blast after blast into walls of the gym, tearing through its surface, as Tyranitar pummeled the Electabuzz, beating them into the floor all as they leapt toward him, fierce and intense. Nathanael, all the while, smirked, his arms folded over his chest, a laugh on his lips.

"Oh, this is just beautiful, Surge! Will you look at it? Your precious gym falling to pieces around you. See what happens when you try to act tough? It only blows up in your face!"

Machamp delivered a mighty punch into Raichu's chest. Lt. Surge watched, in horror, as his comrade gagged on itself, the air torn from its lungs with a mighty, sharp blow, throwing the poor critter through the doorway, tearing it apart as Raichu landed weakly on the street, the very ground torn asunder. Lt. Surge leapt toward his fallen friend, only for Machamp to slam his numerous fists straight into Surge's torso. He would have screamed in pain, but his ribs had shattered, and if he wanted his ribs to dig deeper into his lungs, he would have shouted. But he knew better. He had been in war before, injured before. This was nothing!

He punched Machamp again in the face, kicking him in the lower torso, as he fell to his feet, barely able to stand. He glared up at Machamp as he drew his foot up, ready to stomp down on his foe's very skull. This was it, wasn't it? Countless wars, countless battles, and he was to be in the end beaten by his employers? What sort of sins had he commited to deserve such a fate?

"RAICHU!"

A bolt of electricity surged into the back of Machamp's skull, throwing him forward, into the walls of the building. There Raichu stood in the doorway, gasping for air, but still standing, its tail barely helping to support its weight. Magmortar turned toward the orange rat, and extended its cannon arm, light flaring out from deep within. Surge watched as the rat leapt above the blast, allowing the energy to tear the street before it as though a volcano had erupted from below it. Raichu landed on Magmortar's skull, bolts of electricity surging out from its depths, ensnaring the Pokemon, filling it with painful volts. It stumbled away from Surge's comrades, all beaten and bloody. Magmortar fired at random in a blind attempt to defeat, to torch, to kill the attacker.

"Get out of here!" Surge stammered, gagging on his own blood, as he turned toward his comrades. Wordlessly, the injured recalled their Pokemon to their balls, and made a mad dash for the door, as Surge himself lumbered forward. However, Tyranitar stepped forward, blocking their path, his eyes wide and ferocious. Nathanael chuckled as he glanced at the beast, and nodded. The monstrous Tyranitar drew its head back, energy gathering in its open mouth. Lt. Surge watched in horror as his comrades dove for the ground, the Hyper Beam flying over their heads, soaring directly at Surge!

He did the only thing he could: fall.

The blast tore through the gym, filling it with light as all the walls trembled, tearing under the force of the blast, the roof spinning off into the sky like a discuss into the ocean, where it crumbled. Fire reigned in the electric gym, ensnaring all fibers in ash and smoldering embers. Nathanael looked down on the broken leader, and chuckled, returning Magmortar and Tyranitar to their balls as Machamp leapt from the fiery depths of the gym, at Nathanael's side. As Nathanael returned Machamp to his depths, he summoned a new creature, but before Surge could see it, it had flown off with the monster into the air, out of sight.

The gym was gone. The gym was gone. All destroyed. Nothing left. No warning. No hesitation. The league, no, Nathanael Butler had destroyed everything. All his records, gone. Everything he had done in the past several years had now been washed away in the winds. And now, he was gone, doomed. His entire body was in agonizing pain, all was broken. Would he ever stand again? Would he ever breathe again?

"It seems you have a problem."

The lieutenant turned to see the tall figure standing behind him, glaring out at him, her hair dancing in the gentle winds of the smoldering gym. With a silent nod, she grinned. She grinned at the broken man on the ground as she moved closer, a chuckle on her lips.

"Lt. Surge, we have business to discuss. I need you for something VERY important, so don't waste my time by dying just yet."


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

"So is this the underground current?" Ash asked as he and Pikachu, sitting on his shoulder, stared out at the expanse of water under the earthy stalagmites—or was it stalactites? He never knew the difference! They were just those pointy things coming down from the ceiling to him. In any case, at his side was Lola, Brock's supposed-to-be-dead mother, dressed in what appeared to be a wetsuit. He asked momentarily why she needed to dress like that, but then, glancing back at the sub terrestrial lake before them, that it was probably a smart idea to wear that.

"Yup," Lola replied, a grin on her lips as she withdrew a solitary ball from her hip, tossing it up and down as she drew it behind her head. There was a flash of light as a grand serpentine beast emerged before them, his azure scales shinning in the dim lantern light strapped along the walls of the underground cavern. The Gyarados roared as it landed in the water, splashing liquid against Ash's aghast face as he drew back, his jacket soaking wet. Lola laughed at this, her entire body shielded from the water thanks to her wet suit. "No time like the present. Get on!"

Lola kicked off the ground, landing on her blessed Gyarados's head in a heartbeat. The Gyarados purred in delight, like a kitten with a ball of yarn, before letting Ash on its back, who carefully pushed himself up her slippery scales. After securing herself as best he could, they were off, torrents of water soaring past the Gyarados as it tore through the water like a blade across, well, anything really. The lantern light beside them blurred like a great steam of brilliance, vibrating in their peripheral vision as they passed, sparkling droplets of water drifting in the air, refracting the beauty.

Over their heads, Zubat soared, the sounds from their open mouths radiating through the air, the soundwaves reverberating off of every moist surface. However, at the high speeds they traveled at, all Ash could hear was their unified symphony against the percussion of the high winds beating against his eardrums. The chorus of Magikarp swerving out of the way of their future big brother filled the dark air. All the while, Ash clung to the mane of the Gyarados, the mane of hard scales and slippery surfaces, as Pikachu clung to his shoulder, his entire body waving against the wind like a flag or some comical banner. He struggled to hold on, while, to his astonishment, Lola remained standing erect, her hair flowing through the wind like a wild mane, dancing in every direction as she stared straight ahead, the wind tearing around her as though she were a mountain in a hurricane: unmovable.

How did she do it?

The Gyarados roared loudly as a the water trembled before them. Ash was given a second as Gyarados slowed down for Ash to pull himself up back onto Gyarados's head. The water soared up in two waves past the singularity of a sole figure standing on the back of some flying Pokemon. What this creature was doing down below the surface when its brethren were in the air was anybody's guess, but, as Ash found the creature moving closer, he realized the reason this usually airborne creature was below the Earth was simply because of the trainer riding on its back.

Gyarados swerved out of the way of the oncoming figure, its broad wings stretched out as far as the eye could see. Ash's eyes widened as he caught a better glimpse of the creature passing them by. "That's an Aerodactly!" Ash stammered, watching as the Pokemon passed them. His trainer stood tall on its back, undaunted by the oncoming torrents of wind, his long locks of hair dancing behind him as his sloppy jacket flapped in the air behind him, like a cape or some sort of rather insidious costume, or maybe even the jacket Ash himself was wearing. However, he made no distinct features from the man as he passed, as his form was but a blur against his retinas.

"Who's that guy?" Ash asked aloud, staring off at his trail as he soared off, the water now touching the stalagmites in the air as it darted off into oblivion.

"Eh, who knows?" Lola replied, shrugging, "Probably a real good trainer, my best bet. Don't think it'll ever affect us. C'mon! Let's keep moving!"

#

"Alright, everyone!" Misty shouted at the top of her lungs, looking down at all the employees and trainers at her gym. Amongst them were both Molly, who was staring up at her with a determined expression on her face, and Jean, who continuously jotted down notes in her pad, lazily. However, all this were insignificant to the orange haired trainer. After all, a lot of things would be insignificant to someone who was about to lose everything. "Listen, I don't think I'm very good at making speeches, but even so, I just wanted to tell you we only have two months left as members of the Cerulean City Gym."

The reaction she received wasn't horror struck as she had assumed, but rather confused. Perhaps the idea of the gym disappearing was completely alien, if not ludicrous, to them, an impossibility. Perhaps they even thought their beloved gym leader was pulling their legs. However, the leader could not be any farther from the truth in this situation. Sighing again, she glanced down at her audience, taking a few steps forward as she glanced at each of them in turn.

"The League has decided that we are simply too powerful of a gym, and this is keeping trainers from arriving at the league. I'm not lying. I'm not kidding around. In two months, this place will be demolished. However, we CAN do something about this!" Looking up at her partners, she said, frowning, "We can protest this, petition the league even. If we get a big enough petition to save the league, then we'll surely be able to save everything, right? We'll keep the pool open, the gym battles open, and all the revenue this town receives from trainers coming to battle will keep on flowing, so it'll all be good, right?"

The crowed seemed to, for the most part, agree with Misty. They nodded their heads, murmured words of agreement, or, in some cases, punched the air excitedly. A couple, however, seemed rather terrified of the prospect of failure, and, as such, glanced off nervously, lowered their heads in anxiety, and one girl even began crying. Misty felt much like joining her. The fate of Cerulean was truly in the hands of Saffron City's gym leader for the time being, and she had little faith in someone who had once turned her into a doll.

Though Ash would've trusted her.

"That was a good speech," Molly said after everyone had parted.

"Well, I guess so. I felt kinda nervous really," Misty replied, giggling to herself to reassure herself that she felt happiness in her heart.

Little secret: she didn't.

From the crowds of joyous, confused, and depressed employees and trainers, Jean emerged, taking the gym leader, and her loyal disciple Molly, aside with her. Once out of earshot of the rest of the trainers, who were all too distracted by the catharsis of Misty's rather ordinary speech, Jean went straight to business. "Misty, it might be a good idea to, in the meantime, leave me in charge of organizing protests and the like," Jean said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Huh?"

"After all, to my knowledge you're going to be a tad preoccupied, what with the blackmail and everything," Jean replied, turning around, abandoning the due with a lazy wink, "Enjoy prison. Give Nathanael my regards."

"Prison?" Molly asked, confused.

"Don't worry about it. It's just Jean's strange sense of humor," Misty replied, pulling Molly aside as they left the gym. "Hey, listen, Molly, have you encountered any strong trainers on your way?"

"Strong trainers? I know a few, but I don't think they can just come over to Kanto just like that," Molly replied, "A lot of them seem focused on their own little missions, ya know?"

"Yeah, I can imagine, but do you know any in the area? Ones that AREN'T in Johto?"

"I just flew over here. I don't know anyone, aside from you, Ash, and Brock."

Ash. Ash. Ash. He was a strong trainer, and if Misty asked him, he'd come in an instant, but she couldn't do it. Not because she was afraid about inconveniencing him, but because he was a little nervous about contacting him after four years of not talking. It would just feel so awkward, all that time and then, all of a sudden, here she would be, talking to him on the phone. What exactly would she say, anyway? "Well, I'd ask Ash, but last I heard he's in Hoenn. Knowing him, he'd be busy fighting some gym leader or whatever, ya know?"

"Maybe he's close by?" Molly asked.

"What're the chances he'd happen to just be right by Kanto anyway? Heck, what're the chances he'd even be near Cerulean any—"

At that precise moment, the very Earth outside the gym trembled. There was a loud ripping of the Earth, a shattering fissure of sound that drove both Misty and Molly outside of the gym, both pursuing the source of the sound, of the tremor, of the earthquake of sound. There, before the gym, stood a tall Gyarados, its mouth purring gently. Misty reached for her belt, withdrawing the Pokeball holding her own Gyarados, but lowered it as she noticed two figures standing on the tall serpentine Pokemon's head.

It was clear who this was.

Criminals.

"Alright! You on the Gyarados! Get down here!" snapped Misty, raising her Gyarados once again, "What the heck are ya doing breakin' through the ground and all? Ya could've hurt someone! You're completely irresponsible and stupid! Above all, just stupid for popping up right in my front—"

"Hey! Misty! Up here!"

"Huh?" Misty glanced up at the sound of her name being called. That laugh. That familiar laugh. She stared up at the figures standing up on the Gyarados's head, the figure waving both of his arms back and forth as he shouted, that same laugh filling her ears. Her eyes widened, her scalp tightened over her bones as her hairs stood up on end, her heart racing. She found her lips twitching into a smile, a stunned, amazed smile. There were no other thoughts, no other concepts in her mind, other than memories. The gym being torn down was irrelevant next to the waves of memories crashing down over her shoulders. Memories of joy, of pain, of heartache, of happiness, of victory, of defeat, of loss, of separation, of fun, of hatred, of nostalgia, of regret, and, most of all, of love, filled her body. No words could do justice to that sort of emotion, all those feelings integrated into one ultimate feeling that could be labeled as a reunion.

"Ash!" Misty shouted as the familiar trainer drew nearer as the Gyarados lowered its massive head. He leapt down to the ground, wearing the attire she had first met him in. He looked up at her, smiling that same goofy grin he always wore. What a stupid idiot! He looked like a moron with that smile, that smile showing all those dumb teeth of his, that smile flexing every dumb muscle in his face, every lovely, beautiful, dumb muscle. Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulders, and landed heavily in Misty's arms. The poor creature was trembling violently, as though it had just been dragged by a fishing rod across the water while the fisherman was on a speedboat, or had been in a conversation with Sabrina. One of the two.

"I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd come by and see ya, Misty! Had to ride a Tauros and Gyarados to get in the neighborhood, but that's not important."

"A Tauros? Wouldn't that hurt?"

"Don't remind me."

"So what's with the Gyarados?" Misty asked, curiously.

"That would be mine," Lola replied, hopping off her Gyarados's back before returning the beast to his sphere.

"Misty, this is Brock's mom," Ash said, hastily, "Can ya believe it? She isn't dead?"

"Yeah, I know that," Misty replied, simply, "I have met her before, ya know."

"WHAT! So everyone else knew she wasn't dead except me? Ya guys really need t' tell me these sorts of things!"

Misty giggled. It was the first real giggle in a long time, the first real instance of amusement she'd felt for years. This, this emotion right here, with Ash right there, was joy, was happiness, was love. It was also being peeved off. "Hey, listen! What gives ya the idea to just rip up the front lawn, huh!"

"What? Your front—GYAH?" Ash stammered as he turned around to witness the damage done to the property of the Cerulean gym, "Lola! Why'd ya go and ruin everything!"

"Well, it WAS close to the gym," Lola replied, shrugging, "If ya didn't get up then and there, ya would've ended up in Cerulean Cave, and trust me when I say you don't want to end up there."

"Why not?" Ash asked.

"Cerulean Cave is a pretty weird place. A lot of people say there's super powerful Pokemon there that'll really hurt you, though I don't know for sure. Even I try staying away from there," Misty replied.

"You're afraid that bugs are in there, huh?"

"SHUT UP!" Misty snapped.

"Oh, by the way, Misty! Just a heads up, remember that girl from Johto? The one with the Unown, and the Entei, and the—"

"You mean Molly Hale?" Misty asked, glancing over at the girl standing at her side of the same name, description, and identity.

"Yeah! Exactly! I heard she's gonna come over to the gym to face ya! Are ya ready for her? I heard she got real good at training, too."

"Uh, yeah, she came over and faced Misty," Molly replied, smiling smugly.

"Oh, really? Do ya know how she did?" Ash asked. Molly cocked her head before withdrawing the Cascade Badge from her pocket. There was a moment of pause before Ash slammed his fist against his own skull. "OH! I AM SO DAMN STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPIII~~IID!"

"Yeah, I know. It's part of your charm," Misty replied, smirking.

"Pika pi!"

"It would appear you found your powerful trainer."

Misty felt the hairs rise up on the back of her neck as even Ash's eyes widened in shock. After the beautiful reunion between the trainer and the gym leader, now Sabrina needed to interrupt the relationship. After all, hadn't she interrupted her life more than enough already? Yes, the woman WAS on her side, but did she have to be so damn creepy about everything?

"Sa—Sa—Sa—" Ash stammered, staring in horror at the newcomer, who stood directly behind Misty, glancing at all the new arrivals.

"I'm glad you're so happy to see me," Sabrina replied, bluntly.

"Were you visiting Misty, or—?" Ash asked, gesturing back and forth, clearly attempting to make sense of the new arrival.

"Not hardly. I'm simply here to invite you to aid us in a little difficult mission we're dealing with," Sabrina replied, "I owe you, regardless, for what you did the last time we met."

"Owe me? But you gave me the Marsh Badge last time, and how is me helping you aiding me?" Ash asked, confused.

"You'll understand later," Sabrina replied, frowning.

"Yeah, she isn't explaining much to me either," Misty replied, frowning.

"I have come to inform you both that Lt. Surge's gym has just been demolished."

"Wait, what!" Ash stammered, his eyes widening, "Lt. Surge? That guy from Vermillion City? Beaten?"

"Not only him, but his two students too who were present. All beaten by a single trainer," Sabrina replied, "And, during the battle, the gym was utterly destroyed. A Pokemon even died during the confrontation."

"Wait, a Pokemon died…?" Ash stammered, staring at Sabrina with a look of horror on his face.

"Yes, one of the opposing trainer's Pokemon, for better or worse," Sabrina replied, unsympathetically, "I suppose you can mark it down to the trainer not bothering to rescue his Rhyperior after it was thrown into the water. He made no attempt to rescue it, and it wasn't like it died quickly. It died from drowning in the water. He didn't even bother to rescue his Pokemon after he left the scene."

Ash stared at Sabrina, his eyes filled with rage, though Misty knew that rage was not focused at Sabrina. Misty would know, as she felt the exact same emotion, though not toward either Ash or Sabrina, or even Lola. No, she knew just who had destroyed Vermillion City Gym. She could see that unshaven face, that smug expression on that bastard's visage: Nathanael Butler. "It was Butler, right?"

"Wait, how do you know Butler?" Ash asked, his eyes widened.

"You know him?" Misty asked, confused.

"He's thinking of ANOTHER Butler," Sabrina sighed, "Butler is the man's last name, not first name like the one YOU'RE thinking of."

"Oh, okay. I was gonna say that didn't seem like him at all, ya know?" Ash replied, laughing at his own mistake.

"This Butler, Nathanael Butler, is part of the Indigo League, an official who wants to shut down three of the Kanto gyms due to them being difficult. Cerulean Gym, Saffron Gym, and Vermillion Gym. He has succeeded in one location, and plans on officially shutting the gyms down in two months time. He'll probably pin Vermillion City's gym's destruction on Lt. Surge going insane at the revelation that his gym will be shut down. I am sure of that much."

"Why are you so certain?" Ash asked.

Sabrina looked at Ash for a few seconds as though she had considered probing his brain to see just what idiotic part of that mess of matter would make Ash forget Sabrina possessed psychic powers, only for the psychic to realize Ash was a brainless idiot. Sabrina didn't even bother responding to Ash's idiotic question as she turned toward Misty. "I have Surge off taking care of business for me. I need you and Ash, and any other trainer you feel certain can aid you, to Cinnabar Island. There is a ship off of Vermillion City leaving for there. Take it."

"Why can't Lt. Surge just go to Cinnabar if he lives right there?" Ash asked, confused.

"Because right now he's in Celadon taking care of some business for me," Sabrina replied, "His objective, I might add, is just as difficult as yours is. Surge and his two pupils are helping me immensely, but their work is meaningless UNLESS you find information on a research island not far off of Cinnabar that was destroyed nearly seven or eight years ago. Find information out on that for me, and then I'll have all I need."

"Where will you be?" Misty asked, curiously.

"In Cerulean Cave. Someone is calling for me there."

"Uh, okay, if ya say so," Ash replied, backing away.

Sabrina turned around, a trio of tickets emerging in her hands. She tossed them to Misty, who caught them hastily. "Those are your tickets. Get there in three days time. You don't have much time! Move now!"

"Three tickets? Who's the third person?" Ash asked, curiously.

"I'll go!" Molly replied.

"I'm not sure you're strong enough—"

"She got a Cascade Badge, and I'm one of the toughest gyms in Kanto," Misty replied, smirking.

It felt so good to smirk like that again.

"Good luck, you three," Sabrina replied, turning toward the pit formed in the wake of Gyarados, "I'm sure you'll need it, but I know you'll succeed. Hopefully." At that, Sabrina hopped off the ledge, hurtling down into the raging water below. Misty darted forward, along with the others, only to find Sabrina levitating over the raging rapids below, the water literally twisting around her as the waves pushed up against the invisible purple shell surrounding her body, enveloping her. She was encased in pure psychic energy as she levitated down the stream, deeper toward Cerulean Cave.

"I'll never get used to that," Ash sighed, "Anyway, why didn't ya tell me your gym was bein' shut down?"

"We were only talking for five seconds," Misty replied, "Not enough time. But let's go down to Vermillion! We need to move fast if we want to get there in time."

"Ya know, I can help bring ya to Vermillion city real fast," Lola replied, smiling wryly again.

"Another underwater current?" Ash stammered, his eyes wide.

Lola nodded. "There's a little stream nearby that goes into a large river. The river stops, but travels into a sewage system. We can get to Vermillion in about twelve hours if we travel by foot, not stopping by the numerous small towns and what have you in between, BUT we'd reach Vermillion City in three or four hours the other way, ya know? It'll be fine. Besides, I don't' think Sabrina ever said when the boat left, did she?"

With that, the four trainers broke out into a sprint. However, Misty realized there was a certain bounce in her step she didn't have before, or hadn't had in a long time. She asked herself, at first, what it could be, but then realized she was asking a dumb question. She glanced toward the man at her side, the man staring forward, his eyes never wavering from their ultimate objective. There Ash Ketchum stood, a man, no that was too stupid of an address, a boy from years ago, standing at her side, running at her side, as he had for years, as THEY had for years.

It was how it was meant to be.

#

"Surge went mad? That sounds rather out of character for him."

"It's true. You can see the wreckage for yourself if you wish," Nathanael Butler replied, staring straight at the League Officials before him, the Elite Four high above them all, all staring down at him as he spoke to the masses. All those souls, all those men, staring down at him, surprised, yet believing his every word. And, after all, why wouldn't they? He was their honest soldier, their savior. He was the one who came up with the brilliant idea to eliminate gym leaders to raise attendance. If he could convince the League to let people go, then surely he could discredit a violent man by stating he did something violent.

How easy was that?

"I don't believe Surge could do such a thing," Lance said, his fiery hair sticking out of his scalp in sharp angles, staring down at the crowd.

"I disagree," another man from the audience said, "Surge is just the type of hothead who WOULD destroy his own gym. And he even killed Butler's Rhyperior!"

"We have statistics showing Surge is known for violence against Pokemon, and he has gone as far as to kill Pokemon in the past during wartime, so to say that he wouldn't kill a Pokemon is unreasonable, Lance."

"Yes, please explain yourself, Lance."

Having the whole of the League turned upon him, Lance lowered his head, and said, his dark voice filling the arena, "It may seem logical, but need I remind you the only evidence we have for this is Nathanael Butler's word? He WANTED to eliminate Vermillion City's gym, and vehemently convinced the board to vote against my veto until that bill was passed. Do ANY of you find it odd that the moment he gets his way that the gym is destroyed? Does ANYONE find that strange?"

"Surely it may seem unusual that all evidence was destroyed in the destruction of the gym, but that's simply because Surge KNEW you'd think that," Butler replied, shrugging, "He's a soldier. He knows what people look for during a disaster. He knew you'd be suspicious, Lance. He counted on it. However, what he didn't count on was that I would escape alive. My poor Rhyperior is dead, thanks to that bastard." Butler took a second to pause, if only to make it look like he was choked up, before continuing. "Listen, everyone, he killed my friend. Is that enough evidence for you? I say we arrest him. He needs to be held down before he does more damage. Can we at least agree on that much?"

"Perhaps we should at least restrain him," Bruno replied, his bare midriff visible for all to see, "I do side with Lance on this issue that it seems odd for Surge to behave in such a manor, but I think that both sides need to talk to Surge personally. To simply make wild accusations or to blindly defend him is foolish. We must understand that we all want Surge here alive. Can we agree on that much?"

"Bruno has a good point," Lorelei said, her hands folded anxiously, "I am siding more with Nathanael on this issue, simply because I would never put it past Surge to do such a thing, but my own personal prejudices are getting in the way here. We need to have him fairly tried by an impartial jury. No one man has the right to punish Surge. We need him alive and in control. For all his faults, at least he does respect authority. He doesn't respect anyone else, but he does respect authority."

"Agreed," Agatha replied, "Worst case scenario, I'll be able to extract the truth out of him."

That was true. Nathanael's heart quickened. If the truth was extracted, it would be clear that Nathanael had lied, and then all his plans would be ruined! He frowned, slightly, before smirking. He could just side-step the problem by having Surge be found dead. Yes, dead! Only solution. The BEST solution. He would need to be dead, deader than dead, gone forever. "I agree with your judgement, Elite Four. I suggest everyone joins them in that beautiful decision. Lt. Surge should be captured alive. I will let the law enforcement agencies handle it. I feel my personal prejudices, as Lorelei pointed out, will have an affect on the capture."

"That's a mature decision, Nathanael," Lorelei replied, smiling, "I applaud you for it. If it was one of my pokemon killed, I'd want his head."

"Well, I don't want to hurt the League, you know," Nathanael replied, smiling his best smile. He had practiced for years to get the perfect smile: a hint of uncertainty, gratitude, yet a dash of melancholy that would sell everyone over.

And it did.

Save for Lance.

It was hours after the meeting before Nathanael attempted to communicate with Claude. Nathanael left the League, leaving on his Aerodactyl toward the peaks of Tohjo Falls, where he stayed, feeding his Pokemon the berries at the top of the hill. He unleashed his team of five Pokemon, Magmortar, Tyrannitar, Machamp, Aerodactly, and his fifth Pokemon: the mighty Arcanine. The quintet fed on the enriched berries as Nathanael grinned. He withdrew a two-way communication device, encrypted perfectly so no one other than the other holder could hear his voice.

The other user was Claude.

"Claude, come in!" Nathanael replied, hastily.

"What is it now, Nathanael?" Claude replied in his deep, dark voice after a few seconds of waiting.

"I require your aid once more, Claude, and listen carefully because the benefits you and your organization will receive in the end will be amazing."

"I know, Nathanael. You always deliver your promises. What is it this time?"

"I want Lt. Surge dead. The league wants him dead, but if he's deceased before they find him, or better yet if they NEVER find him, well, then we won't really have a problem, will we?"

"I'll inform the rest of the men, along with Giovanni. By the way, Nathanael, are you enjoying Tohjo Falls? Those berries we generated were pretty good, aren't they?"

Nathanael grinned, wearily, "So you're tracking me with this thing too?"

"We can't let our investments run away on us, can we? We need constant surveillance on you. Besides, now that you destroyed one of the gyms already, the money should start flowing, won't it?"

"Oh yes, you'll get your money, don't worry," chuckled Nathanael, a grin on his lips, "Just make sure you kill Surge. If he's reinstated as Gym Leader, you'll never see a cent, understand? And then you'll be doomed too."

"Why would I be doomed?"

"If I fall, they'll find this device. And if you can track me, they'll make it so they can track you, and you'd NEVER know. So make sure, for everyone's sake, you kill Surge. Understand, Claude?"

"Crystal clear, Nathanael. I'll get right to it. I'm out."

Nathanael lowered the talking device, a grin on his lips as the seconds passed, his eyes widening in glee. He was right there, RIGHT there. All he needed were three gyms knocked down before the money came in, and Claude could be happy. Only then, well, ONLY then would he be able to pursue his final goal. It was a simple matter, really. All he needed was to eliminate one little man standing in his way, and he'd ascend. He was almost there, ALMOST there. And maybe he'd get find pleasure along the way.

Those two women, Misty and Sabrina. What beauties. What beautiful women. He could still smell the scents of their hair as he passed them by, the curves of their hips, the softness of their arms and the delicate tips of each of their fingers. He could imagine the sensation of wrapping his arms around their waists, holding them close, feeling their bodies touching his. It was such a beautiful idea, such a magnificent concept. He longed for them, longed for them so dearly.

Was it his fault for wanting younger women?

He grinned to himself as the seconds passed, his fingers flexing along their own structures, his eyes widening as he imagined their bodies on the ground on Tohjo Falls. He longed to reach out for the images of the women before him, the figures he had imagined into existence, but alas, his hands passed through air seeing as how he had nothing, no woman, nothing. He wanted them so much, and what Nathanael Butler wanted, he received.


	5. Chapter 5

(Author's Note): Just to clear a few things up before continuing…regarding the character of Nathanael Butler, his design, for those curious, is based on that of Ryouji Kaji from Neon Genesis Evangelion, though NONE of his personality and charm is borrowed. I feel the need to state this after noticing a lot of people referencing Evangelion in Pokemon fiction…I mean, Ikarishipping? Comashipping? I'm sure HALF of the people who support Comashipping don't know what they're discussing when they refer to Comashipping…additionally, despite Butler's sexual deviance, though rape or some other horrible imagery MAY occur in the future (I don't want to spoil what is to come), I DO NOT WRITE LEMONS! I will not write a lemon. I have a sense of respect, guys! I may describe a sex scene, but I HATE BEING EXPLICIT ABOUT IT! I mean, really? It's just so uncalled for in a romantic adventure POKEMON fan-fiction to write hard-core sex scenes…Besides, THIS IS A T-RATED FAN FIC! I WILL NOT WRITE SOMETHING THAT WRONG IN A T-RATED FAN-FIC!

Just settling the matter now. Enjoy!

**Part 5**

"WHY IS TRAVELING FAST ALWAYS SO PAINFUL?" Ash stammered as Gyarados rocketed down the river toward Vermillion. It wasn't like this was the first time he had traveled on water. He had been on the SS Anne before, and he had ridden a Lapras all over the Orange Islands with Misty and Tracey, but in all honesty, never before had he ridden by Gyarados! Pikachu clung to dear life on Ash's arm, cutting off the circulation to the hands that desperately struggled to hold onto any sort of scale or object he could have a good grip on.

Why was it that Misty had no trouble clinging to the Gyarados's mane, as Lola stood up on the skull of the great beast itself, both proud and tall against the oncoming raging hurricane winds pushing against them?

Molly, at least, for better or worse, was in Ash's shoes. Had it not been for the Ursuring she had summoned holding her down against the great beast's surface, holding onto the massive scales with its great claws, she would have slipped off the beast into the raging currents below. It was a god thing she had that huge teddy bear to hold onto her. Even so, the poor girl was white in the face, terrified at the prospect of voyaging even a single meter further down the river, despite the fact that, every second, they traveled a dozen meters further toward their destination.

Another thing that bothered Ash was how Lola had described the water passageway as a stream or a little river. Little? Had Lola ever seen a little stream? If so, she'd realize that massive, raging rapids with sharp rocks that literally tear up its shoreline just so the river seems to be in constant expansion does NOT qualify as tame by any means. If anything, it's utter insanity! It was a huge river, huge intense rapids that threatened to swallow Gyarados up, or at least severely injure him, if he didn't constantly sway back and forth, riding around the rapids, moving so fast as to nauseate him.

Why couldn't he have kept his Pigeot? Maybe then he could've flown to Vermillion. He should've called Charizard from Johto, but no! He needed to be stupid, didn't he? He needed to be intellectually inept, didn't he? What a stupid move on his part! He was stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID! He would have hit himself in the head, but Ash didn't think letting himself slip into the intense depths of the river was truly worth the cathartic impulse of hitting himself on the head.

"So how long is this?" Ash screamed out as the air rushing past them filled his lungs with air violently and intensely.

"Not longer," Lola replied, smiling as the wind tore through her locks of hair, her strands of brown hair spiraling through the air.

Ash glanced over at Lola, how she stood so firmly on her Gyarados, before his attention was deviated. There stood Misty, her smooth skin shining against the sun above, the water reflecting and refracting the massive star's light against her skin from below. Misty could have probably been a mermaid in a past life, or perhaps a Dewgong. She adored the water, so perhaps the process of traveling across the intense rapids around them was, to her, thrilling. Ash didn't see it, but, judging by that smile on her lips, she must be enjoying herself to some extent.

Ash hadn't seen her smile like that since, well, the last time he saw her.

Eventually, after an infinite chasm of time, they reached Vermillion. The first thing Ash did upon landing was vomit into the river, along with Pikachu and Molly. Misty and Lola had no problem hopping off the Gyarados's back, a smile on their lips as they glanced over at the sick trio. "You guys are a bunch of babies," Lola giggled.

"Well, ya get used to it after awhile," Misty replied, shrugging, "That's every day with Ash."

"Thanks a lot, Misty. We don't see each other for a couple years, and you just start insulting me again?" Ash replied, with a scowl on his lips, yet a laugh in his heart. Maybe the laugh was because he was so glad to be on solid ground? In any case, for a second, Misty's face contorted into what could only be described as a hurt expression, but maybe Ash had only imagined that change of expression, as instantly after looking sad, she looked mad, despite there being a slight smile on her lips.

"Oh, but that's the thing! I could spend a decade apart and still feel the same way!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!"

"The feeling's mutual!"

"Pika!" Pikachu stammered, urgently stepping between the two of them, his arms outstretched, as though he were trying to separate a fight.

"Hey, guys! We don't have time for this!" Molly stammered, "The ship leaves in ten minutes!"

"TEN MINUTES!" Ash stammered.

"Yeah, it says so on the tickets," Molly replied, the tickets in her balled up fist.

"Hey, how did you get those?"

"They fell out of your pockets," Molly replied, hopping onto Ursuring's back, gesturing for the others to join her.

"They fell out and you didn't tell us?" Ash asked, hopping on, clinging to the hair of Ursuring's back as Pikachu hopped on Ash's shoulder, clinging for dear life.

"Yeah, I saw that too. I was gonna have Staryu go and grab 'em for you, but Molly caught them, so it was okay," Misty replied, taking a seat beside Ash.

Lola chuckled a little before turning back toward the river. She recalled Gyarados into the water, and, with a little grin, shouted, "Gyarados, bite Ursuring in the ass!"

One nibble later, and Ursuring was sprinting ferociously down Vermillion City.

#

All the while, as they sprang down the roads, Misty had her eyes on one thing. She didn't focus on the people darting out of the way of the massive bear, nor was she looking to see that they didn't run headlong into some sort of vehicle coming straight toward them. Rather, all she saw, as it was on the Gyarados ride, was on Ash's face as it screwed up in horror, holding her head low to the bear's shoulders with Pikachu. He did this sort of thing with his nose, where it scrunched up, where his eyebrows knotted together to shield his eyes from the wind.

It was cute.

Before she knew it, the trio of humans, and Pikachu (and Ursuring too) had arrived before the SS Anne. The ticket person didn't seem to really know how to respond to the arrival of a great bear bounding toward them, but only managed to lamely accept the tickets as Molly hastily shoved them into his hands. Molly returned Ursuring to his ball, her hair visibly astray, as Pikachu steadied himself on Ash's shoulders, trembling violently as the trio of humans walked up toward the ship's deck.

The fresh sea air filled the girl's lungs as she progressed alongside toward the dock, staring out at the city as the seconds passed, and as the ship slowly pulled away from the city. There was a sound of joy and euphoria amongst the couples on the deck, only for her to glance over at the others with her. Molly was in a fetal position, perhaps struggling to remain as still and stable on the rocking ship, clearly relieved to have lived passed the insane transportation she had traveled on for the past three hours and ten minutes. Pikachu was comforting her gently, patting her on the little of her back.

Ash, however, was right beside Misty, though for the wrong reasons. He was vomiting neatly over the edge of the ship, his face green as the seconds passed, his entire body rocking nauseously as the moments passed, visibly sick from all that traveling and rushing around they had undergone the whole time. Misty couldn't help but giggle a little bit as she glanced down at his rocking, nauseous form. "You're such a wimp."

"Hey, give me a break here. I don't travel by bear that often, or by Gyarados."

"Oh, c'mon, it wasn't so bad."

"Just how the heck can ya not want to puke after all that?" Ash stammered, his eyes wide.

"Eh, I just trust the water is all."

"Trust the water? That still doesn't explain the bear."

"Just doesn't bother me is all."

"I guess I'll just accept that. You're weird."

Misty giggled, her cheeks filling with blush. "Is that why you came down to Cerulean? Just to call me weird?"

"Well, actually, the main reason I came by was just to talk, see how you were because, well, I missed ya."

Misty's cheeks turned scarlet. "You missed me?"

"Yup."

"Well, I was kinda curious about you, too."

"Huh?"

There was no backing down now. "Well, ya see, I keep thinking about all those years ago when we used to travel around a lot, do you remember? All that time ago? It was fun, ya know? And, well, I realized that I just wasn't having a lot of—er—that is to say—" Misty lowered her head, her mouth too dry to continue. Why couldn't she speak. So often she had too many words to say, or had to say the wrong words that weren't right, so why was it now that even the wrong words weren't coming out? Why was it that she had, after years of having a sharp tongue, gone tongue tied?

"What're ya tryin' to say, Misty?" Ash asked, curiously.

"I—er—I miss ya, you twerp!" Misty spat, "That's what!" She couldn't say the rest of her statement. That's all that came out. There wasn't anything else she could possibly say, whether she wanted to or not. Her mouth was simply sealed shut, her throat collapsing upon itself, her vocal cords pulled tight so no vibrations could emerge. She couldn't say the words deep in her heart, nor, honestly, did she want to. After all, all Ash seemed to know her as was as a friend. If she told Ash everything, how she truly and honestly felt, then maybe he'd never see her the same way again. Things would get awkward.

It was better to stay the same.

"Aw, well, Misty, I missed ya too!" Ash laughed, blushing as he scratched the back of his head, "I've really wanted to see ya for awhile now, too. That fishing lure you lent me reminded me a lot of you, ya know."

"Fishing lure? Oh! That one!" Misty remembered handing Ash that lure that was in her likeness. She smiled for a moment. "That was one of my favorite lures, too."

"Do you want it back—?"

"No!" Misty said abruptly.

"Oh, okay," Ash replied, simply, turning back to the ocean for a moment or two. A second of silence passed before the boy said, a smile on his lips, "I kinda like the lure, ya know."

Misty smiled.

"Guess ya have good taste."

For the rest of the ride over to Cinnabar Island, the long trip over to the island down far away, Misty could not say those words, those special words she had wanted to say, and yet couldn't speak. Well, she could speak words, but not the words she really wanted to say. She could tell Molly stories of the past several years between the day they first met and the day of their reunion. She could tell Ash how it felt to run a gym as she did. Yet, she couldn't say those words she wanted to say, the strong words burning in the depths of her heart, the words that seared the inside of her throat, the inside of her lungs, every second, every instant, every moment. Whenever Misty would stare at Ash's face, she'd find blood rushing to her cheeks, only to suppress her emotions with a witty comment or snarky sarcasm.

If she was overly friendly, she might just give in to her emotions.

Finally, the ship pulled up to Cinnabar, and, upon pulling up to the glorious island, the trio, and Pikachu, came to realize one crucial fact that stampeded over them in a sudden onslaught of revelation. "HOW THE HELL DO WE GET TO NEW ISLAND!" Ash screamed, frustrated and confused.

"Maybe we could swim there?" Misty suggested. At that comment, Pikachu suddenly darted up Ash's back, and hid underneath his hat, the bulging mass on the boy's head trembling and shaking under the scarlet and pewter fabric. Judging by Ash's horrified expression, it looked as though the master wished to join his dearest friend.

"We don't even know where it is. We'd get lost if we just tried swimming there," Molly pointed out, much to Ash and Pikachu's relief.

"Well, true, but how else are we gonna get there?" Misty asked, confused, "I mean, how else could we possibly get to New Island?"

"Did you say 'New Island'?"

Misty glanced over her shoulder to see a girl approaching them that towered over her, a rather large girl if she did say so herself, with a rather fake looking tan and strawberry blonde hair. She was rather large-chested, almost obscenely so, and yet she didn't seem to have any balance issues. Surely that was a lot of weight to have on the front side. Still, the very pretty looking girl was standing nearby, and she seemed to be a ticket to New Island.

Misty was listening.

"We can take you to New Island."

"Who's 'we'?" Molly asked, curiously.

"Oh, I mean me and my sister—er—my sister and me," the girl said in a rather high pitched voice, a girlish giggle behind each word.

"Uh, okay," Misty replied, her eyes narrowed. So a girl came out of nowhere to offer her a ride to an obscure island? Seemed too good to be true, and it probably was. "How much do you want for it?"

"Oh, it's free! We have to go up there anyway to pick up—er—Magikarp for the—er—Casino Prize pool," the girl replied, covering up the pauses in her sentences with seemingly random fits of powerful giggles.

"Okay! Alright! I'm in!" Ash cheered, despite Pikachu's cheeks sparkling slightly as he glared at the girl.

"Shouldn't we try and think this through a little?" Misty asked, warily.

"Nah! If there's one thing I know, Misty, it's that I am an excellent judge of character!" Ash declared, proudly, despite Pikachu hiding his face behind his hands in shame.

#

"I am an excellent judge of character, and I know that Nathanael Butler is a thoroughly despicable man, but he'll fulfill his promises."

Claude stood over the computer monitor, staring into the eyes of his two underlings, both dressed in black outfits, a scarlet R emblazoned on their chests as they stared out at their superior, a tense expression in each of their faces. The Rocket Admin didn't see a huge reason to worry. From the beginning, Nathanael Butler had been one of the large benefactors for their project, a huge service to which, without, since the disaster nearly eight or seven years ago following the failure of Giovanni's last long term project, Team Rocket itself might have gone under.

Butler is the reason Team Rocket is still in existence.

"Are you sure? There's something about him that just rubs me the wrong way," Cassidy replied on the other end, her head lowered, her large mane of auburn hair shimmering in the dim overhead light, his long two tails of hair spreading out in a long angle. Her masculine partner with dark hair remained silent, but his face betrayed his inner agreement with his partner's statements.

"I know for sure. He will not fail us, nor should we think he will," Claude laughed them off, waving off their concerns, "Everything is riding on our communication with Butler. Now, tell me, is everything going ahead smoothly?"

"Yes sir, everything so far in this lab is going smoothly. We have almost created a stable prototype, and we should be able to test it in the coming few hours. We're extremely excited on this end, and I'm sure you are too."

Claude's lips curled into a broad grin on his lips. "How long do you suspect it will take before the stats can be transferred to us?"

#

"Did you download it yet?"

"Thirty seconds. I need thirty seconds!"

"We don't have that much time, Watson! Get it done faster!"

Lt. Surge glanced anxiously over his shoulder, his Raichu perched on his broad shoulders, his tail aimed toward the threshold, sparks flying from the electrical bolt. He was ready to kill, ready to attack, as was Surge. His gym was gone, his entire life up until then had been destroyed thanks to Nathanael Butler. All that to waste, thanks to that bastard. For screwing over his life, Surge was going to screw him over. Big time.

"Twenty seconds," his disciple Watson said, bending over the keyboard. The man was a broad guy, just like Surge, though he had learned how to use his electrical Magneton, the Magneton levitating in the air over the numerous computers, to hack through firewalls and other sorts of cybernetic defenses in war time. He was a master of gathering intelligence and manipulating digital data, and now had a place to use such great potential.

"Two grunts are coming," Elle mumbled, his female deciple, dressed entirely in black, her brunette hair tucked into a bun behind her head as she withdrew a single ball from her side, releasing the ideal Pokemon chosen for this job. With a muted flash of light, Rotom emerged, a spark of energy surging through the air that dove into the ceiling, a ceiling covered with pipes and electrical circuitry. There was a muted light, at which Surge became very still. He listened, heard the footsteps drawing nearer, almost frantically. The guards knew where they were. They were aware, they were on their tails. All their work until then would all be for naught!

The sudden screech of metal and the sudden silence told Surge he had nothing to fear.

He grinned.

"We got it," Watson laughed, unplugging the laptop and numerous back-up hard drives he had hooked up to the massive supercomputer, returning them to a metallic briefcase. He turned toward the others, and nodded. Rotom returned to Elle's side, in the form of pure, unrestrained energy. Lt. Surge pushed away, daring with Elle as Rotom flew into the circuitry again, doing just what he had done to the two guards who had ran toward them seconds earlier: throw metal pipes through their chests to silence them forever more.

In a competitive battle, that would qualify s unnecessary, even by Surge's standards.

This was not a battle.

This was war.

All-out war.

Judging by the numerous poles sticking through the ground, grunts impaled on their metal stalks, Rotom had a lot of work to do.

"Take their Pokeballs," Surge snapped silently as he passed, removing the Pokeballs from the grunt's hips as they passed.

"Isn't that just insult to injury?" Elle asked, obeying the order, along with Watson. "Is there any real point?"

"We're gonna just release 'em," Surge replied, "These people are willing to just let their Pokemon die after a moment's notice. Do ya really think we shouldn't help these guys out a bit? Probably abused. Probably more than willing to have a bite to eat in this place, ya know?"

There was a moment of silence as they darted through the graveyard of grunts before Watson asked, a grin on his lips, "Where do you plan on releasing them?"

As Surge neared the exit of the metallic facility, Rotom emerging from the circuitry, its energy waves faint and worn out as Elle returned it to its home, the lieutenant said, with a broad grin, "Right here."

Surge and his two comrades threw the stolen balls into the depths of the location, unleashing an armada of Rattatas, Koffings, Ekans, and Grimers upon the monstrous remains of Team Rocket's Cerulean City base. As the Pokemon infiltrated their own base, Surge took a step back with his two comrades, their Pokemon in their Poke Balls, Raichu on Surge's shoulders, he slammed the door shut on the base, leaving it to its own destructive devices.

"So what sort of data is this supposed to be on?" Watson asked once the trio were far away from the base, hiding from a nearby Officer Jenny, whose Growlithe were sniffing around the vicinity, the wanted posters asking for Surge plastered nearby.

"No clue," Surge replied, "Only that broad Sabrina knows."

#

"So now you know. Does it all make sense to you?"

The figure in the shadows stared back at Sabrina, its brilliant eyes stares in the depths of infinite darkness. Had Sabrina never possessed eyes just as luminous before, she may have been unnerved. However, the psychic was not so easily bothered by such things. She was, for all intents and purposes, a woman of rather firm emotion. A little thing like a monster in the darkness could barely make her heart beat out of rhythm.

"The story makes sense, but there are some things I do not see. Is it true that you come to me for some sort of aid?"

"That's correct."

"What aid could I supply a woman such as yourself?"

Sabrina grinned. "I need your power."

"My power? And why would you need my abilities?"

"Simply because the enemy we're dealing with has the potential to be the strongest trainer in existence, if he reaches his goals. If he manages to succeed in doing what I have just told you he plans on doing, then everything in this world can and will suffer. It's not a laughing matter. This is a dead serious subject matter. Even someone in your situation may suffer."

"Someone in my situation? You are aware that there is no one else in my situation."

"If he manages to succeed, there will be. There will be."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

"Are you sure you're actually sailors?" Misty asked, her eyebrow raised at the questionable sailboat before them. The thing was quite literally constructed out of what appeared to be washed up plywood and, if her eyes didn't deceive her, string. That's right! String you'd find in a ball of yarn was what held this whimsy little raft together. This thing couldn't survive the waves formed from a child hopping into a pool, let alone violent rapids or a tsunami. Not to mention the crew of the ship looked oddly familiar.

The girl with the overly large boobs constantly adjusted her breasts, as though they couldn't stay in one place at a time, which, the more Misty thought about it, probably was the case. Her partner was also female, a woman with bright red hair and a rather bitchy aura about her. Misty didn't know what it was exactly, but there was a spice in her glare that sent minor shivers down her spine, but not so much due to the woman being intimidating and more because she feared hearing her shrill voice bark orders toward the other girl or that Meowth that kept tagging along the ship, purring at every opportune moment.

Didn't Ash see the obvious danger in even associating with these people?

Evidentially not.

"Ah! Cool! So how fast does this thing go?"

"Faster than, uh, a flying rocket!" the intimidating girl said after a momentary pause.

Could they be less obvious?

Misty glanced at the others through narrowed eyes. "You know, you could just tell us where to go. That ship looks like it couldn't survive a head-on collision with a Magikarp. Just saying."

"Oh, ye of such little faith," chuckled a voice that emerged from neither girl's mouth, though there was a sudden kick that lead to the Meowth soaring into the raft, twitching weakly.

Once on the raft, the two women rowed rather fiercely. Though Ash was enthralled by the surrounding birds flying in the sky, and Molly was left looking a tad nauseous, Misty remained on guard. Her fingers were wrapped around Gyarados's Poke ball as those two obvious fakers rowed onward. Who did they think they were fooling? They were clearly Jessie and James, Team Rocket thugs. Wasn't it obvious? Was she the only one genre savvy enough here to understand this old cliché? Was she the only one who was in a right state to notice an obvious trap when it walked up in front of you, crapped on your feet, and laughed at you?

"Hey! Look Misty! It's a Dewgong out there! A Dewgong!"

Apparently so.

An hour passed before Cinnabar Island disappeared from view. However, before them was nothing. There was no island on the horizon, no nothing. Pikachu was agitated, sparks flying from his cheeks as the seconds passed, the little mouse glancing over at their benefactors with a strained expression, a distinct lack of trust spread across his face. The two rowers' lips curled into smiles as the second passed before, finally, Misty could take it no longer. Clearly these two were not whom they claimed they were, and even a mentally retarded baby on some sort of hallucinogen could see they were fake.

It just so happened Ash was denser than that.

Misty withdrew a pin from her hip, at which Ash cocked his head, confused.

"Hey, whaddya got there, Misty?"

Misty casually approached the girl whose boobs seemed to drift across her chest, and poked the breast with the pin. There was a loud pop as the woman's chest ripped open, releasing a torrent of helium that surged through the air as her deflated balloon-boob soared into the air, leaving her chest awfully lopsided and the skin beneath the balloon, the muscular chest muscle, awfully moist from sweat. A second passed where Ash stared at the man, where Molly vomited off on the side of the raft, and where the girl's partners shook their heads in shame. Ash glanced at the deflated balloon, back at the man, and then back at the balloon. He reached down, pinched the hole in the balloon as though to ensure it was real before blowing into the balloon, refilling it with air, before placing it back against the man's chest, holding it there for a moment before the balloon popped in another location, and deflated once more.

"You're not a girl!" Ash stammered backing away.

"You're quick on the uptake," Misty grumbled.

"I suppose it's inevitable! Prepare for—"

"Gyarados, Pikachu, fry 'em," Misty grumbled, summoning her massive sea serpent from its small containment. As the grand beast emerged from the depths of the water, towering over the two goons and Meowth, Pikachu's cheeks sparkled with an almost gleeful glint as a grand bolt of energy surged from the little rodent's body, surging into the trio's bodies, throwing them off of the raft and into the air, only for Gyarados to slam his tail across their stunned forms. As their bodies skipped across the water, the sound of their helpless screaming filled the air, only to be smothered under the water.

They'd probably be back before the day was out.

"Wow Misty! How did ya know it was them?" Ash asked, awestruck.

"You're kidding, right?" was what Misty wanted to say, however, all that emerged with a shallow shriek as the boards from beneath her drew apart, leaving her standing on a crumbling raft. Pikachu's thunderbolt, as useful as it was for eliminating goons, had torn the raft asunder! They were standing on a platform that, in a matter of moments, would be nothing more than a few drifting logs.

Molly reacted first. She summoned her Kingdra, and hopped onto its back, holding onto its neck for dear life. Pikachu hopped on Ash's shoulder, fearful once more as Misty grabbed Ash by the wrist, tugging him toward her as she leapt onto her Gyarados's welcoming head, pressing him against the moist surface as the great serpentine beast surged through the water, waves flying into the air in the two water Pokemon's wake. The world flew around their eyes as the seconds passed. She had no idea where to go. Those two had been their only guides. Now they were stranded in the water! For someone who had believed herself to be intelligent, to be so damn smart, she sure was stupid when she thought of it.

She had just stranded them!

"Hey, what's that in the distance?" Ash shrieked in fear.

Misty looked out before them. There, many hundreds of meters away, was an island. There it was! Perhaps Jessie and James had brought them close enough to New Island to reach it! A grin on her lips, she leaned forward, the hurricane winds pushing against her running through her long strands of hair as she shouted, a smile on her lips, "Full speed ahead, Gyarados! Let's get to New Island."

Pikachu cried at this.

After several minutes of surging through the water, they made it on the shores of New Island. Misty recalled Gyarados to its ball before the three trainers, and Pikachu, stared up at the structure before them. A grand stair case lead up to a massive castle stretching up into the clouds. The austere structure, possibly powered by a broad windmill, was austere in structure, the walls plain yet incredibly foreboding. There was a sense of cruelty about the place, as though something here was inherently wrong and improper about this area, and yet another feeling prevailed in Misty's mind.

Had she been here before?

"Hey, Misty, does this castle look familiar?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, but I can't say from where. Do you remember something?"

"Nope."

"I don't like this place," Molly mumbled, "Let's—"

"Who is that?"

The three glanced up at this, and, on neutral reflex, hid. They knew not who it was, nor did they understand just what was going on. They simply knew one simple thing: they did not want the speaker to see them. That was one thing they could not allow, no matter what. There was something wrong about that voice, something cruel and foul. Something wicked. Something downright evil.

And, sure enough, a Rocket Grunt emerged from the stairway, a flashlight in hand. Misty drew back, hoping the rays did not shine upon her. The man took a few steps closer, glancing to and fro, searching for that voice he had heard, searching for the speaker a mere ten meters away, right around the corner he stood at. A simple turn, a simple glance, and the trio would be doomed, swarmed from all angles by enemies, potentially beaten, potentially tormented, potentially killed.

But nothing happened.

"Dammit. I'm on guard shift for an hour and already I'm hearing stuff. Dammit." The guard turned, shaking his head, clearly going off to question his sanity from that moment. That would have been the end of it, had Molly not withdrawn her Pokeball, silently releasing a Sneasel that dashed forward, quite as a falling leaf, silent as the dead person in the grave, and silent as the Rocket Grunt who tumbled into the ocean after the little Pokemon slashed across his head with its great claws

Silence is golden.

"Smooth," Misty whispered.

"I try. Sneasel, take out the rest of the guards," Molly whispered.

"You sure it's a good idea to do that?" Ash asked as Sneasel disappeared without a trace, a blur in the air, "Someone might notice all the guards are knocked out, and then what?"

"It's better than just walking in with the entire place seeing us," Misty replied, softly, "Besides, I don't think these guys are really going to look out for their friends, do you?"

"I guess not. Even so, couldn't we just—"

"Is that a Sneasel?"

Dammit! That plan went over nicely!

"Pikachu! Blow a hole through the wall so we can get out of here!" Ash whispered as Pikachu shot electricity into the wall behind them, debris flying in all directions. Misty glared at the idiot. Great way to conceal your presence! Why didn't they just get a megaphone and shout out the exact location they were standing, along with their social security numbers and pants size? Oh yeah, great idea! Blow a hole through the wall so the enemy could follow them!

The sound of Sneasel shrieking in pain filled the air, but so did the sound of splashes following the sounds of humans screaming out in pain. Regardless, the sound of sirens filled the air, swarming around them, enveloping the very air they breathed as the trio darted through the hole as Pikachu fired bolt after bolt into the hole, expanding it wider as debris flew behind them. Misty continued to choke on dust as the sound of a Sneasel coughing filled her ear. Molly's Pokemon had returned, its claws bloody, covered in injuries itself, but for the most part alright.

The sound of footsteps rang behind them.

"Pikachu! Blow those guys away! Thunder the walls so we can seal 'em off!" Ash shouted as Pikachu did as he was told. The bolts of energy bursting from Pikachu's cheeks collided with the walls behind them. In a sudden burst, rocks tumbled down, and the sound of screams filled the air for an instant, before all was muffled behind the rubble. At least, it would have been had the roar of the ceiling continuously tumbling behind them not filled the air.

"Oh! Great idea! Blow the ceiling up so we get caught in the cave in too!" Misty stammered while running behind the others, Pikachu rapidly tearing apart the rock in front of them with bolts of energy.

"How was I supposed to know it wouldn't stop?" Ash stammered.

"It's basic physics! Even I knew that!" Molly stammered.

"Then why didn't you say anything!" Ash stammered.

"Because you did it before I could!"

Finally, light broke through before them as the trio and Pikachu tumbled forward, the floors tumbling down behind them as the ceiling fell through. The trio gasped for air as they took a second to appreciate just where they had landed. Before them were dozens of test tubes filled with undeveloped fetuses, strange creatures that could barely be called Pokemon, yet indirectly resembled them. Their eyelids were not formed, or their limbs were still only tiny twigs, or perhaps they had the likeness of their full form but had yet to truly grow to the appropriate size or proportion. Before each green cylinder, however, stood dozens of scientists, each one formerly observing the scientific environment before their little interruption. Now, naturally, all eyes were on the newcomers, the ones standing before them, the one who had emerged from the fractured wall, where the sound of screams still rang out through the air. There was a silence in the room, despite the pandemonium outside of the chamber. Each second passed like a millennia before Ash took a step back, a shaky smile on his lips.

"Uh, hi?" Ash stammered, sweat forming on his brow.

"What in the he—oh, it's you again!" From the back of the room emerged two familiar faces. There they stood, Team Rocket elite: Butch and Cassidy. The latter stood in the forefront, hands in the pockets of a lap coat that rested over her Team Rocket uniform, a look of livid fury on her face. Behind her Butch stood, his fists clenched, his chest puffed out importantly, as he glared at the intruders, a look of hatred on his face.

"Not more of them," Molly grumbled, Sneasel behind her, claws bared.

"Boys, you know what to do," Cassidy replied, snapping her fingers. At once, the multitude of Rockets in the room converged upon them, throwing a volley of Pokeballs. From their depths emerged a great light. Before Ash and the others could even grab their Pokemon, a legion of vines emerged around them, wrapping themselves around their limbs, holding them against the cracked walls in the shape of crosses. An army of Bulbasaurs stood before them, each one with a livid expression on their faces.

"Whaddya—?" Ash stammered, his throat squeezed by the vines. Misty wouldn't have been able to even utter that much; the vines were squeezing down on her windpipe, making it harder and harder to breath.

"I'm surprised outsiders like you even knew about New Island," Cassidy chuckled, taking a few steps forward, hands still in her pockets, "But I suppose I'm used to surprises nowadays. Well, I suppose you found our Pokemon cloning site, not like it'll do you much good anyway. It is, after all, only one of multiple locations."

"Cloning sight?" Molly stammered.

"Multiple?" Misty croaked.

"Yup!" Cassidy laughed, "We have sights like this all over the Kanto region. It's all part of our job, but we can't tell you—"

"PIKACHUUUU~~~UUUU!" The roar of the rodent surged through the air as a torrent of energy filled each vine, traveling to the helpless Bulbasaur attached. The Pokemon were thrown backward, against their masters, who were thrown against the testing tubes, the glass shattering behind them helplessly as embryonic fluid spilled onto the floor. Cassidy and the others were distracted for but a minute as Pikachu shot volts into the other Bulbasaur, his body exhausted as Misty found herself able to breath, and able to reach for her Poke Balls.

"Staryu! Rapid Spin!" Misty shouted, summoning her star shaped Pokemon as it spun through the air, spiraling around the Bulbasaur, lifting them off the ground from the momentum surrounding the creature before throwing them through the multiple test tubes, a trail of fluid following them as the embryos and fetuses tumbled helplessly onto the ground, drying up in an instant.

"Damn it! No!" Cassidy stammered, rising to her feet as the trio darted away, toward the first exit they could see: a door on the opposite end of the room. Many of the thugs tried to move, only to slip on the fluid over the ground, falling flat on their faces into the wet juices.

Once behind the threshold of the lab, they turned to their left to find, to their horror, the entire half of the hallway had fallen upon itself, blocking itself off. Evidentially, Pikachu's custom tunnel had done a lot more damage than they had previously imagined. She had to hand it to the mouse for really ruining a Team Rocket base. However, there was no time for that. They turned the opposite way, toward the right, and ran down the hall, the ground wet and spongy. Adrenaline was pumping through every vein, every fiber of her being.

It was almost fun.

The sounds of Rocket grunts filled the air behind them as hasty footsteps rang through the hallway, razor leaves flying off against the walls, scrapping the sides harmlessly as the projectiles helplessly passed them by. One drew close enough to Ash's cheek to draw blood, but it was barely even a flesh wound and the blood was so little that even Molly wasn't grossed out by it. Finally, they found a ladder, which they hastily pulled themselves up, the sounds of screaming drawing closer with every slow step taken up the ladder. Why was it that people on ground could move faster than someone on a ladder, especially three humans, a Pikachu, and a Sneasel stuffed onto the same ladder (Staryu flew up)?

After progressing up the structure, Staryu shot down the ladder, tearing the rungs apart before firing a Hydro Pump into the oncoming torrents of Rocket Grunts, throwing them all against one another and the ground, just to be safe. Staryu rejoined its mistress as Misty and the others darted down the hallway before them, away from the oncoming Rocket grunts, and into, to the trio's surprise, a dinning room completely devoid of people.

"Do you guys feel déjà vu?" Ash asked, glancing around hastily for an escape, only to find, to all their surprise, a stadium outside a glass threshold.

"A little, yeah," Misty replied, darting forward, hoping beyond hope Gyarados could soften the inevitable fall if they leapt over the stands into the sea she heard lapping the cliff behind the stadium.

As the trio moved toward the stands, a great force flew past them. Ash barely pulled out in time as a powerful Primeape slammed against the stadium floor, the very material of the stands shattering under the force of the impact, the dust soaring into the air as the mammalian glanced over, a glint of fury in its eyes. Misty drew back as Staryu dove protectively before her, stretching out its arms as, to Misty's horror, her belt radiated with energy as a yellow Psyduck emerged before her, hands on its head in confusion.

As though she wasn't having enough problems.

There, in the threshold, were Butch and Cassidy, behind them a dozen guards, Poke Balls in hand, a fearsome expression in their eyes. Butch had a triumphant glint in his eye as, extending his hand before him, he shouted, at the top of his lungs, "Primeape! Blow 'em away!" The Primeape, at the sound of that order, leapt forward, slamming his fist into Staryu's core, throwing it backward. However, the little Pokemon caught itself, but not before Butch's Primeape slammed a kick straight into its core, rapidly punching it down into the Earth after the poor creature doubled over from the kick.

"Pikachu, use—"

"Houndour! Flamethrower!" Cassidy shouted, summoning the onyx Pokemon as it leapt forward, flames in its mouth. Ash and his partner drew back as a jet of fire flew straight for them. However, from the nearest tip of Staryu's five pointed form exploded a jet of water that flew through the flames, straight into Houndour's throat, throwing it backward through the glass behind them.

Pikachu's thunderbolt hit Primeape in the meantime.

That didn't keep Staryu from fainting from his injuries.

"Staryu, return!" Misty snapped, hastily, "Go, Corso—"

"Psyduck?" Psyduck interrupted his own trainer, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Get lost!" snapped Misty, "If I needed a headache, I woulda called you out!"

"Sneasel, get the grunts," Molly snapped, the jet black Pokemon lunging forward to attack the Rocket grunts, claws bared. Before the grunts could even draw a Pokeball, the creature was upon them, slashing across the air, drawing blood with each passing second, the Pokeballs thrown out of their hands and against the floors, stands, glass, helplessly. Cassidy turned around, hastily, and withdrew a single ball. Just as Sneasel drew his great claws back to slash it aside, Butch moved in, releasing a Hitmontop! With a flurry of kicks, Sneasel was thrown to the ground, Cassidy's own Sabeleye freed from the depths of its own ball.

"Shadow ball!" Cassidy shouted, demanding the Sabeleye to draw its hands toward its core, a sphere of darkness swirling around its own hands. Before anyone could respond, the sphere collided into the stunned Sneasel, blowing it into the air, darkness swirling around it in a violent tornado. The Sneasel screamed in pain for an instant before being thrown into the air, only to land at Molly's feet, broken and defeated, twitching weakly in pain.

"Any other tricks?" Cassidy asked as the Rocket Grunts reached for their fallen Pokeballs, their hands bloody.

"I have one!" Ash snapped, withdrawing a single ball, "Go Tauros! Rough these guys up just like you roughed me up with that stupid ride through the forest!"

Indeed, the great bull did just that. It darted toward the enemy lines, horns drawn. Before the Grunts could attack, they fled, fled like cowards into the threshold as the Tauros darted after them, the very ground shuttering at the sound of its hooves slamming against the ground as though a field full of Tauros were stampeding down the dining area. All the grunts fled, that is, except for Butch and Cassidy. They glared out at the invaders, a look of loathing on their faces, as Sabeleye and Hitmontop were joined by, after a flash of light, Mighteyana and Raticate. The quartet of Pokemon glared at the trio before them, Pikachu standing protectively before Ash with Psyduck at his side.

"Snea…" Sneasel moaned, weakly, before Molly returned him to his ball. A glint of fury in the young girl's eyes, she threw the Pokeball from her hip out before her, summoning her Ursuring to battle, the bear roaring with the might of a thousand atomic bombs out through the air, slashing through the air as it darted toward Sabeleye. The specter drew back, a black aura surrounding its body as the energy condensed into a sphere.

Had Psyduck not darted between Ursuring and Sabeleye, the attack would have blown the great bear's skull through the stands as what happened with Psyduck. But rather the yellow bird took the hit, and Ursuring evaded the attack, drawing his claws back, only for Hitmontop and Mighteyana to tackle the bear, holding him down as the former kicked him rapidly, spinning through the air like a top tipped 90 degrees, while the latter clawed and tore at his flesh. Sabeleye loomed over the three, another Shadow Ball forming within its hands, its diamond-like eyes glinting in glee.

Psyduck rose from the rubble, its eyes glowing great azure, a mighty aura surging around its body, raging like the sea caught in a typhoon. Had Cassidy and Butch noticed the little critter emerging from its crater, maybe they could have saved Sabeleye when a great arrow of psychic energy radiated outward, surging through the air, slamming into the ghost, throwing it through the air, into the stands, as a great explosion of psychic energy radiated everywhere. Maybe, had they been able to save Sabeleye, they could have avoided Ursuring throwing both Mighteyana and Hitmontop off of him, only for the great bear to crush Mighteyana under his own weight and for a second burst of psychic energy to throw Hitmontop through the air, straight into Butch, throwing the poor criminal into the kitchen, straight through the table, and into a wall.

But they didn't regard the pathetic bird as anything more than a joke.

"Butch!" Cassidy stammered, turning to face the others, "Dammit! Raticate! Iron Fang!"

The Raticate leapt over the Ursuring and Psyduck. A jet of psychic energy flew out at the rodent of unusual size, only for the energy to pass harmlessly behind it. Misty watched as its prominent tooth radiated with pewter energy. Ash turned toward Pikachu, and shouted, "Iron Tail!"

That was enough for the little rodent. It kicked off the ground, sprinting toward the Raticate as its own tail glowed blazing white. It leapt into the air, toward the Raticate flying toward the trio like a comet from space. They were about to collide, soaring straight toward one another, as the rat extended his teeth, the fearsome might of the Raticate's mouth enough to pummel the yellow rodent. However, the agile Pikachu pressed its hands on the enemy's skull, pushing itself up into the air. As Raticate flew beneath the Pikachu, the latter hurdled over the other, shifting its weight in the process as his tail flew like a blurred hammer through the air, slamming straight into Raticate's ribs! The helpless enemy shrieked as it was thrown against the stands, rubble flying in all directions as the very stadium shuddered.

Ursuring rose to its feet, and roared over the fallen Mighteyana. Cassidy stared out in horror before her as Psyduck, Pikachu, and Ursuring drew nearer, flexing their claws. The girl lowered her head, her eyes filled with fury. "This isn't over! Alright, c'mon out—" Before she could even reach for her belt, a familiar grunt filled the air behind the girl. Before she could even turn to face her adversary, Tauros had already tacked her, throwing the helpless woman through the air, spinning against the glass before falling back down, bloody and broken. Before she could even rise to continue fighting, Ash had already recalled Tauros, as Misty had recalled Psyduck and Molly had recalled Ursuring. Before Cassidy could speak as she rose to her feet, her eyes bleary and her forehead bloody, the trio and Pikachu had darted up the stands, Misty had summoned Gyarados, and they were surfing through the air, the wind tearing around them as they hurdled passed the cliffs below, and collided with the surface of the water, flying into the ocean, salt filling their mouths.

A second passed before Ash stammered, the Gyarados dragging them away from the now burning New Island, "Let's not do that again."

With a smile on her lips, Misty said nothing. Nevertheless, as she thought about it all, what had just happened, she realized the strongest emotion she felt right now was nostalgia. They had done crazy stunts like that all the time, and now they did it again. How could she never want to do that which she had longed to do for years following the parting? Judging by Molly's trembling joints, that escapade had taken a lot of out of her. Her eyes were wide. Perhaps adrenaline had driven her forward before, but now as the situation settled in so did the realization that she could have died a million times back there, that she had just risked her life for a cause she didn't understand.

And that scared the poor girl.

However, it made Misty only smile.

#

"They didn't even let us finish the motto," Jessie moaned as she pulled herself onto shore.

"Ya think they'd maybe let us win for a change," Meowth moaned, shaking himself dry as he helped James pull himself up as well.

"Ah well, it wasn't like we expected that plan to work anyhow," James said, "We only did come up with it on the fly. I mean, if I didn't hear them say they wanted to guy to some island, we would have just pulled that same trick we did in Saffron City. It's a good thing I was wearing that voice recording thingy so you prepared for my arrival, even if all you did use was everything you found in the dumpster!"

"That was an oddly specific description," Meowth mumbled, "You sound like one of those exposition dumping people in a poorly written fan-fiction!"

"what's a fan—"

"Where are we?" Jessie interrupted, glancing around at the austere burning castle before them.

"I get the vibe we've been here before," James mumbled, "Looks like somewhere we'd be, what with the disaster and fire everywhere. It feels like my relationship with you, Jessie."

"What was—"

"Run away! Tauros!" The trio glanced up to see a dozen men jumping off the cliffs of the island into the sea, swimming away into the ocean, struggling to move with injured limbs and blood flowing freely from their bodies.

"Hey, Meowth, weren't there Sharpeedo in that water?" Jessie asked.

"Yup."

"Aren't they attracted to thrashing creatures that are weak and bleeding?"

"Yup."

"Wouldn't want to be in their shoes."

"What in the blazing hell are you three doing here?" Once again, the trio looked up to see two figures standing high above them, both ragged and bloody, but, for the most part, as intimidating as ever.

"Cassidy!" Jessie snapped.

"And Botch!" James snapped.

"It's Butch! Get it through that rock thick skull into that almond sized brain of yours!" snapped Butch, furiously punching the air only to reawaken his own injuries, his entire body clenching up in pain as he tumbled to his knees.

"So what's going on here? Another one of your little missions?" Jessie asked, "Where are we, anyway?"

"To answer your first question, yes, we've been trusted to be part of the biggest mission any Team Rocket official can ever hope to receive, which is a lot more than what you can say for yourselves."

"Why you little—"

"In regards to the second question, this is New Island."

"That's where the twerp wanted to go," James replied.

"The twer—you mean the brat with the Pikachu?" snapped Cassidy, her eyes widening in fury.

"That's right. Why? Did he come her and ruin your big important mission?" Jessie asked, never before more grateful that she had failed at capturing Pikachu. If she had, after all, the twerp and his friends wouldn't have been able to total this place and ruin Cassidy's reputation.

"Dammit! But it's alright. The plan isn't over just yet. We'll be reassigned to the other base."

"Other base?"

#

"The New Island base has fallen."

Claude turned around at the sound of that voice. The sleek figure behind him stirred, his blue hair falling over his back and forehead with a dark glint. He walked closer, a leather jacket over his Team Rocket attire, his eyes malicious and cruel as they always were. He was always so placid about even the worst of news, delivering it as though it were a minor setback, a setback so minor he couldn't be troubled by the irritation of telling someone else about it.

Claude, however, had much riding on this plan.

"How do you know that?" Claude stammered, his skin moist, already knowing the answer before his partner ever opened his mouth.

"I'm psychic. I know. Just like how I know Lt. Surge just murdered forty-five Team Rocket grunts guarding the Celadon base. I also know that Sabrina knows where our other two bases are. However, I also know how to stop them all." He said this last statement with a glint of glee in his mouth, with euphoria and pleasure soaking through every pore.

"Do you now?" Claude chuckled, a nervous tone in his words, "Okay then, I trust you completely, Frollo. Do not fail me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

"Will you stop saying sorry, you idiot!"

"Okay, I'm sor—er—"

"Idiot!"

As the black haired child seated to them but a few seats away had his head knocked into his knees after the fiery youth sitting beside him rammed her knuckles against the back of his head, Jessie and James could not help but stare. Sure, they had seen plenty of idiotic squabbles over the years, many of which occurred between them and the Rocket Elites seated a few chairs away, but nevertheless, never had they seen two Rocket Elites seated next to one another argue so damn much!

"You ever get the feeling that destiny just happens to put us together with the weirdest guys on the planet?" Meowth asked, bored.

"Yes, I think it all the time. I guess it's why I'm with you two," Jessie replied, equally as flat.

"Yeah, ag—HEY!" James stammered, staring back at Jessie with a look of horror across his face.

"It's not like it's a huge secret you're strange. You dress up in women's clothing all the time," Jessie replied, sighing, "I mean, seriously, why don't you ever offer to wear the male costume, anyway?"

"Because more often than not the stores you drag me to t' buy those stupid costumes only sell women's clothing!" James bellowed, an accusatory finger pointed Jessie.

"Yeah, well, I—" Jessie began, but was interrupted when an aluminum can flew through the air, slamming into the back of her skull. Jessie tettered forward, falling onto James's torso, the two of them colliding against the floor of the plane in a heap on the ground. The fiery Team Rocket member rose to her feet, only to see the scarlet haired girl seated a few seats away reach for another empty can of soda at the side of her arm, a smug little grin on her lips.

"What in the name of Arceus did you do that for!" James snapped, jumping to his feet.

"Well, you guys just wouldn't shut up," the girl replied, shrugging, only to chug a full can of soda, gulping loudly as the fluid flowed down her throat. As her head was tilted back to swallow the remaining drops in the bottom of the can, Jessie and James could see the dark haired boy, rather small and not very masculine looking at all, urgently gesturing towards them with a shaky grin, as though to warn them not to argue with her unless they wanted to be beaten up like he was.

The girl lowered the can, glancing over at Jessie, cocking her head slightly, shifting her eyes in an amused fashion. Jessie hated that look. It was as though that little brat thought she was so much better than her, so overwhelmingly superior! It was starting to piss her off more than usual! "Look, you little brat, didn't your parents ever tell you not to throw junk at people older and wiser than you?"

For a second, a look crossed the girl's eyes, only for her to smile yet again. "Nope. Sorry."

"Little brat!" Jessie lunged for the girl, only for James to restrain her, holding her back. James felt Jessie's firm rear end rub against his upper thigh, sending a rather sudden rush through his body. What an odd sensation. It was as though he were tipping over the edge of a cliff, the fear of falling down and down and never stopping (a sensation he was by now awfully familiar with thanks to them regularly being knocked into orbit before falling back down to Earth), integrated with a sensation of want, of joy.

Of course, after Jessie elbowed him in the solar plexus, this moment of joy died fast.

"Don't mess with those two, Jessie," chuckled Cassidy, who was looking out the window of their private little plane, "Those two happen to be some of Team Rocket's greatest soldiers: Shi and Ka."

"Shi and Ka? Soldiers? They aren't even ten yet!" Jessie snapped, in shock.

"Hey, I'm fourteen!" snapped the scarlet haired girl, "A lot younger than you, old hag!"

"What did you call me?" Jessie snapped, eyes narrowed.

"You heard me! Old hag!"

"Is she usually this confrontational?" James asked the boy as the two males slowly backed away from their vehement partners.

"Yes, but usually it's directed to me," the boy replied, sighing.

"By the way, out of curiosity, just so I don't call you 'that boy' or anything, are you Shi or Ka?" James asked, confused.

"I'm Shi, and she's Ka," the boy replied in his now familiar soft, high voice.

"Are you from Kanto too?" James asked, curiously.

"No, actually, we're from another place. Really far away," Shi replied, glancing off, his lips set in a frown.

"Oh, I see. Runaways?" James asked, the cacophony of insults growing louder as Jessie dragged the previously uninvolved Cassidy into the argument, the three women breaking out into an all-out insult brawl.

"Not exactly. Well, sort of," Shi replied, "We're sort of—well, it's kinda—it's sorta like—yeah."

"I don't follow," Meowth said, joining the conversation.

"It's hard to talk about, especially to someone like you," Shi replied, his voice soft and downcast.

"Well, we've heard stranger things before," James replied, shrugging.

"Well, ya see, the truth is—" There was a loud crack of thunder right outside the plane as Shi explained everything, making it impossible for James or Meowth to hear. "And I'm not lying."

"Uh, I didn't think you were, but could you perhaps repeat that? I didn't—"

A female voice interrupted both the conversation with Shi and the massive torrent of screams behind them. "We have arrived in Fuchsia City Base. Thank you for your patience. We will be unloading shortly." Resigned to never knowing the truth, James and Meowth joined Jessie and the others as the three teams entered the hidden Team Rocket base that was located in the mountains just beyond Fuchsia City's borders. Hidden in the mountains and cliffs, it was regarded by most as merely a research facility, and nothing more. The trio had heard of this place before, but doubted the boss would ever hold them in high enough regard to let them in.

Nor did he ever.

They just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

After the New Island Base was completely obliterated due to the fires raging out of control, the massive cave-ins that caused the building to fall upon itself, and all the scientific data demolished due to water damage, a Team Rocket plane came to salvage the survivors. How they knew the base was destroyed at that instant was still a mystery to Jessie, James, and Meowth. Did they have sensors telling them the moment the base went down? There were rumors of a psychic amongst the Team Rocket elite known as Frollo, so maybe he knew the base had fallen? Regardless, the how's and why's were truly irrelevant when one realized the grand picture.

They were in on an important Team Rocket mission!

"So that's the only reason you're here? Amateurs," sighed Ka as Cassidy rationalized why the "three bozos" were joining them.

"Amateur! I don't have to take that from a girl going through puberty!" Jessie snapped, only for James to hold her back once more, "Oh sure! You think you're so tough! How the hell did you get here, anyway?"

"Well, we were tracking an Entei," Ka replied, "Of course, as with any Rocket Elite, such a difficult job was really easy."

"So you caught an Entei?" Meowth asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, uh, it narrowly escaped," Ka replied.

"You mean you startled it when you jumped out to catch it," Shi mumbled under his breath.

"Idiot! Don't lie about it! It was all your fault for being too damn slow to keep it from running! I had a great plan, and you screwed up! You're such an idiot!"

"I'm sor—"

"Stop saying that!" Ka snapped.

Eventually, they reached the austere research facility, that truly looked no different than your ordinary scientific building: plain white walls with the occasional window to let sunlight in, but beyond that, nothing truly visually appealing. Jessie and James both wondered whether or not they could add some spice to the place, make it look less like a boring office building and more like a modern evil lair!

However, upon walking into the building, they saw that outside appearances could be awfully deceiving. After passing through the rather attractive yet simplistic lobby, reached the elevator, and, and inserted a specific key Cassidy had in her pocket into a special slot by the call button, they reached an area that bore no resemblance to anything that had floated through any of the Rocket Trio's minds. The elevator had descended to the bottom-most basement, where test tubes covered the tables, where great cylinders filled with liquid lined the walls, each with what appeared to be partially formed fetuses floating around in the center of the juices. They were so primitive it was hard to determine just what they were, but it was clear they weren't human.

"This place looks a little creepy," Ka mumbled under her breath.

"So you haven't been here either?" Jessie mumbled, a smug grin on her lips, "So much for the big shot Rocket Elite crap."

"Hey! I just never needed to sink low enough to actually look at what the lower level members had to do," mumbled Ka, glancing snobbishly at the other workers as they toiled away on concepts that probably were more complicated than anything she had ever thought of. Then again, the complexity of their procedures probably were too complicated for any of them to understand, but Jessie didn't say that for obvious reasons.

"Ah, so you've finally arrived."

Jessie and James, along with Meowth, glanced up at the sound of that voice. There, standing before them, was a slender figure dressed in black leather that trailed behind him, drifting in the wind as he walked. His blue hair fell over part of his face, trailing down to his shoulders as he neared them. Something about the man sent a chill through the air, an uncomfortable vibe throughout the entire room. There was something rotten, cold, perhaps meticulous even.

"Commander Frollo, we've come to report the status of New Island Base with Commander Claude," Cassidy said, lowering her head courteously toward the superior Rocket officer.

"I know. I can see that much," Frollo chuckled.

James glanced at him, cocking his head in confusion before realization dawned upon him. Pointing a finger at the man, his jaw opened, he stammered, "Are you that—"

"Am I the psychic everyone keeps talking about? Yes, I am," Frollo replied, turning around, "Come this way, children. We have little time."

"Little time for what?" Shi asked, his brow sweaty in Frollo's presence.

"Soon the enemy will come to attack. I have raised the security of both this base and the base in Victory Road, for it's all but inevitable that Sabrina will attack both in the near future. I can sense she will."

"Sabrina?" Cassidy asked, "As in the Saffron City gym leader?"

"Yes," Frollo replied, "I can sense it."

"Why would she want to attack bases she shouldn't even know about?" Butch asked, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"She plans on resisting an appeal made by one of our men inside the Indigo League Officials, a man who wants to destroy a couple of the gyms in order to raise attendance in the League. He argued that some gyms were too hard for trainers, and thus figured that, by eliminating them, he'd raise league attendance rates."

"Why'd he want to do that? Aren't there a lot of other gyms people could go to?" Meowth replied, frowning.

"Of course there are. However, by eliminating other gyms, his paycheck grows in size, and he's using that money to fund our research on cloning. We require his money to advance, you see."

"But you still didn't answer why Sabrina wants to destroy our labs," Ka asked, agitatedly, "What's she gonna get out of this?"

"We have data linking our man to Team Rocket, along with the money trail and plans," Frollo replied.

"Why don't you just delete that so she can't steal it?" James asked, "Wouldn't that be a whole lot easier than having to fight off angry gym leaders? Sabrina would sense you deleted them, and realize there's no reason to fight, right?"

"You don't understand! Those records are to be used to ensure that our man follows through with the promise. If he steps out of line, we'll simply go public with the records, and ruin his reputation. He's going to need to follow us if he wants to even hope to survive in the real world, and reach his own goals."

"Which are?"

"Never you mind, Shi. It is not your business to know why our mole is aiding us when he could just continue living his cushy job at the league. After all, we all have hidden agendas, don't we?" Frollo asked, smirking down at the boy, whose brow grew sweatier still.

#

"What does Sabrina want with this, anyway?" Elle asked, staring at the hard drives in her hands.

"Who knows?" Lt. Surge replied, leaning tensely against the mouth to Cerulean Cave, his fists clenched tensely as the seconds passed, staring up at the moon high above them. "I didn't look at the data. She just said copy everything down, and don't look at it. I don't know shit."

"You know what I think?" Watson asked, glancing up at the others.

"Do I care?" Lt. Surge asked, tensely.

"I think this is some sort of black mail we can use against that bastard Nathanael, ya know?" Watson said, smirking, "Maybe he has ties with the Rockets. Think of that one?"

"Of course I did. Only thing is what sort of mud did we just dig up?" Lt. Surge mumbled, frowning, "Did we just happen to find something really juicy, or is this just another piece to a larger puzzle? And, more than that, why did Sabrina say leave no survivors?"

"Because I'd hate to have too many of those Rockets survive."

Lt. Surge jumped into the air as Sabrina appeared from the air itself, staring at the others with that same stoic expression on her face, those eyes that pierce through flesh and blood and see straight into the recesses of a man's soul. They were cold eyes, eyes dark and cruel. If any woman was capable of destroying Nathanael Butler, it was this cold broad, no contest. Lt. Surge grinned in spite of his shock. "I knew you'd have some reason. So what sort of data is this, anyway?"

Watson handed the data over to Sabrina, who smiled. She opened up the keyboard to the laptop hooked up to the hard drive, and rapidly punched keys. Her fingers danced across each of the buttons, a slight smile forming on her lips as the seconds passed. Finally, after a dozen or so minutes, she rose up, handed the laptop to Watson, and smirked. "This is useful, but the puzzle is not yet complete."

"What else do you want us to do?" Lt. Surge asked, eyes wide.

"I need you to come with me to Fuchsia. To my knowledge, the three we sent to New Island should be coming shortly there as well."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Lt. Surge asked.

"I'm guiding their Gyarados."

#

"I'm so bored," Ash groaned, leaning against the scale of the Gyarados's head, stretching his arms out lazily as the seconds passed. How long had they been on Gyarados's head? The moon was high above their heads, gazing down upon them as the seconds drawled on. His eyelids were heavy and he struggled to keep them awake. However, every time he did, the great beast's head would bob up, rousing him hastily from his slumber, knocking the back of his skull against the top of the creature's hard head.

"Really? I don't' think I can sleep like this," Misty replied, glancing up at the moon, "I mean, wasn't that exciting?"

"It was, but now I wanna sleep," sighed Ash, laying his head back down. Molly had no trouble sleeping, nor did Pikachu. The Gyarados was moving slower than it had before, and was moving at just the right pace: fast enough to keep moving forward, but slow enough for the girl and little Pikachu to snuggle up together against the Gyarados's fins. They were comfortable, but Ash was not.

"Can't you just close your eyes and just relax?" Misty asked, her eyes narrowed.

"This Gyarados keeps waking me up."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah! It's really bugging me!"

"I can always return it to its Pokeball, and just leave you in the water. How does that sound?" Misty asked, smirking slightly.

"I'll take the Gyarados," Ash replied, hastily glancing away.

"There's a good boy," Misty replied, giggling. There was a moment of silence as the two drifted onward, moving farther down the great ocean, the waves lapping up against the sides of the serpent, rising into the air only to sprinkle and spray against the young adult's leg. The seconds passed, a smile on his lips for a moment before Gyarados made a slight turn to avoid a Dewgong, a creature that spun into the air, the sparkling droplets of water following it into the air like a family of faeries emerging from the brightest hole in the ocean. As Misty marveled at each droplet and just how it refracted the light of the moon, Ash tumbled over, damning the majestic creature and all its interruptions to Ash's beauty sleep.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Misty asked, in awe.

"Not really," Ash responded.

"Oh, you're just jealous you're not that great," laughed Misty.

"No, I'm just bugged it keeps making Gyarados turn," mumbled Ash, resting his head against his arms in resignation.

"You're such a little kid," Misty grumbled, holding her head in her hands, looking out at the beautiful sea, the horizon in the far away distance, the moon high in the sky, the stars visible for all to see. Ash followed her gaze, only to see into the great heavens above. "I know you might not like the Dewgong, but you have to admit the sky is pretty, right?" Misty asked, a childish grin spread across her lips.

"Yeah, it's nice, I can't lie about that," Ash replied, finally cracking a grin.

"Yeah." Another awkward silence filled the air for several minutes, the only sound reaching their ears being the churning of the ocean. "So how's May these days?"

"May? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Weren't you going on adventures with her, too?"

"Well, I was, but we had to leave her and Max when we went to Sinnoh."

"Oh, so was it just you and Brock over in Sinnoh?"

"No, there was this girl named Dawn."

#

At once, Misty felt her cheeks burn red at the sound of that name. Ash had traveled with another girl? It was bad enough he had almost replaced her with May, but another one? Did Ash really care about her anymore? Did he have eyes for her? Was she just another girl to him, another replaceable girl? "So, uh, what was Dawn like?"

"Well, she was really young, kinda afraid—"

Misty let out a sigh of relief before interrupting Ash again, "How young?"

"She's ten."

"Oh! That's a relief."

"Why does her age matter, exactly?" Ash asked, confused.

Misty stared at him a good long thirty seconds to confirm with her very eyes that Ash Ketchum had just asked a question with a painfully obvious answer. It seemed that, no matter how old he became, Ash was still a complete idiot when it came to noticing when a girl was in love. Frowning, her cheeks filling with red, Misty mumbled, "You're hopeless, ya know that, Ash?"

"What? I'm serious, why would it matter?" Ash stammered as Misty lowered herself to a squat over her Pokemon's head.

"It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it," Misty sighed, frowning.

"Okay, if you say so." Ash replied, glancing away.

#

Ash glanced away, glancing at Molly and Pikachu for a second. He sighed. Misty was being really weird again. Was this how all girls were at one point or another? Why would it matter how old Dawn was? It wasn't like they were going out or anything, Dawn and him. He had always thought he had a thing for that guy Paul, or maybe someone else, but that was just him. What did he know about dating and love, though? He never even had a girlfriend, after all.

He glanced at Misty, about to make a comment regarding a memory he and Dawn shared, but the comment soon fell to the wayside. Misty was right in front of the moon from his angle. The halo of light bathed the girl in a lovely aura of yellow, soft gentle brilliance enveloping her, swallowing her up before his eyes. Her soft face, the gentle slope of her lower chin into her throat, the smooth, slender cheeks on her face, soft enough to stroke yet not soft enough to truly pinch. Misty had kept her hair up, yet Ash continued to wonder what she'd look like if she took that ponytail out. He was sure it would look nice drapped down that slender neck of hers, the slender softness of it so enticing, almost begging to be touched—

What the hell was he thinking!

Misty was his friend, and it was best that way. As he had learned by watching Brock, acting out on your impulses usually left you battered and bloody. In Brock's case, it also left you with a slap across the face and a pulled ear. He giggled at this, only for Misty to glance over, the sides of her face reflecting both the beautiful light of the heavenly sphere behind her and the water which refracted the said beautiful light of said heavenly sphere.

"What're you laughing about?" she asked, confused.

"Just thinking about—" However, before Ash could finish, a Dewgong rose from the water yet again, flipping its tail majestically before Gyarados's eyes. The beast, in shock, coiled back for an instance. Ash watched as Misty lost her balance, tumbling backward, spinning through the air, only to land straight into Ash's chest. The two slumped further down the Gyarados's body only for the beast to stabilize itself, find itself under control, and swim onward, through the torrents of water as it progressed further down the ocean.

Misty was laying against Ash's chest, her hands spread out to cushion her fall. Ash felt the full weight of her body against him. For a scrawny girl, she sure was heavy. Or perhaps that was simply Ash being a physical weakling. The weight of her chest against his own, her soft, sleek torso rubbing against Ash's. Ash had pulled his own hands in front of his own body to block the impact of collision, and now his hand was pinned between his abs and her midsection. His fingers propped, at first absentmindedly, but soon deliberately, across her belly. Her flesh gave under his fingers, but only slightly, only enough. Ash felt his legs entangled with Misty's sleek thighs. They were locked around each other out of complete accident, yet neither party so much as bent their knee. Rather, they simple stared at one another, eye to eye, face to face.

A sensation ran up Ash's body, a sensation of joy. There was a reason they had fallen together like this. There was a purpose for it. They were meant to be in this position, with Misty's moist leg pressed against Ash's inner thigh, with Misty's fingers pressing delicately against his own rib cage, as the Cerulean Gym Leader exhaled, slightly, quickly, rapidly as the seconds passed. Her heart was racing, just like Ash's, and neither seemed to be able to breathe properly. Quick gasps of air, as though they had just run for miles, but their inhalation was so shallow, not deep at all, nor should it have been. Their eyes were locked, and all they saw was the other's face.

"Hey, Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm losing feeling in my legs."

Misty hastily rose to her feet, blushing deep red as Ash slowly moved his now numb legs. "Are you okay? I'm sorry! Lemme help." Misty drew down just as Ash leaned forward to probe his legs. The result was apparent to Ash before it even happened, yet it was still just as unavoidable: they clonked heads. The two staggered backward, holding their respective skulls as Pidgey swirled around their heads. After a few discombobulated seconds, Ash glanced over at Misty, who was rubbing her head, her hands so slender, so beautiful, each little digit so soft and gentle.

The same digits that had touched his chest.

What was he thinking? He couldn't think that way! Misty was his friend! Just friends! Just friends! Just—

"Hey, Ash?"

"What is it, Misty?"

"Would you mind if, maybe, after this is all done, if you could stay with me for a little while?" Misty asked, curiously.

"Oh, yeah, of course I will," Ash replied, smiling, "I came over because I wanted to see you."

Misty flushed deep red at the sound of that statement. "You came to Kanto because you wanted to see me?"

"Well, that's why I went to Cerulean. I came to Kanto to see everyone. Still, I was most excited about seeing you."

Misty could only blush.

#

"So, uh, what are you gonna do next?"

Ash considered this. "I heard there's another league I could try competing in. I might go there."

"Oh, I see," Misty replied, frowning. After all was said and done, her gym would be torn down, or perhaps saved. If it was torn down, then she could travel with Ash. If it wasn't, then she'd be tied down to one city, and Ash would have to one day leave her again. Then again, if the gym was save, then her honor would be restored, she'd continue being a gym leader, she'd always be by the water, her love.

Water was her love.

Ash was also her love.

Which love did she love more?

Misty lowered her head slightly, her bangs falling over her large eyes as the distant sounds of Bird Pokemon cawing through the air filled her ears. She glanced up, noticing the sensation of warmth crawling up her neck. She turned around only to see the sun rising into the air, slowly ascending higher and higher into the sky as the seconds passed by. The sky turned red as though a rose were blooming, its petals being thrown into the sky by the low, strong winds, eternal winds that dragged the paintbrush petals across the sky as the rose ascended, slowly changing from scarlet to yellow, before her eyes. The water reflected the metamorphosis, dying crimson like beautiful blood before converting into crystal blue once more. There on the horizon was a city, though what city Misty could not determine. Its structures stretched into the sky, outlined against the rising sun, beautiful as it always was. Misty's lips curled into a smile, her shinning teeth reflecting the light off the sun, like the moon reflecting the light of the heavenly star.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Misty asked, glancing up.

"I need t' sleep."


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

"Is everything going according to plan, Claude?"

Claude smiled, folding his arms over the massive scarlet "R" emblem on his chest, his aged face twisted into what could only be described as a grin, despite the rather crinkly laugh lines around his lips. After all, how could he not be happy at this moment? Despite two bases falling at the hands of the enemy, despite all that, the data was still intact. It was only a matter of time before everything fell into place, before his dreams came true.

"Of course, Nathanael. We've had a couple minor setbacks, but according to my good partner Frollo, the enemy will come here, where we'll ensnare and destroy them. Once we get them out of the way, well, then things will get a whole lot simpler for us as a whole."

"You sure seem confident," Nathanael said, his face emblazoned on the monitors before them, his grin lazily placed over his poorly shaven jaw, "So, why're you confident you're going to win, anyway? What sort of team have you assembled this time, hmmm?"

"Well, Frollo is debriefing them now, and—"

"And is now standing behind you."

Claude jumped a little, his locks of white hair bouncing in the air as he glanced over his broad shoulders to see Frollo standing behind him, a line of six Rocket Elites behind him. That psychic, despite being his partner, was quite an odd man. From teleporting behind him without him being aware of it, to reading his thoughts and plans before Claude himself had even fully formulated them, everything Frollo did cemented the image that he was a man to be reckoned with, despite his slight physical build. Next to a hulking giant like Claude, Frollo was the last person one would suspect as being a threat, yet the only people not intimidated by those wicked, cruel eyes were fools.

"As you can see, we have the best of the best amongst us," Frollo replied, bowing a little.

"Since when have we been the best?" a purple haired man asked his long scarlet haired partner. Claude glanced over at the pair, his eyes passing lazily over the purple haired youth, but his eyes were frozen when they landed on the girl. That body, that face, that hair. The hairs on the back of Claude's neck stood up as he stared at her, his eyes wavering in their sockets, his mouth agape in shock. It couldn't possibly be. He knew her daughter was in the ranks of Team Rocket and everything, but what were the chances that this would happen? From what Frollo had forewarned him, they had picked up Butch and Cassidy from the rubble, then two others that he didn't recognize who weren't part of the team before Shi and Ka were called over from Tohjo Falls.

How did they find Miyamoto's daughter?

"Wow!" a scarlet haired girl who was clearly the youngest of the group stammered, her eyes wide and her jaw agape as she stared headlong into the monitor where Nathanael's face shined brightly like a vision of God in Heaven. Her black haired partner, a boy of around the same age, who had to be the one named Shi, glanced over at her, anxiously, as she stammered, "Uh, my name is Ka, I'm fourteen years old, and many people tell me I should be a model in years to come. What's yours?"

Nathanael chuckled, flashing a rather amused smile, at which Ka blushed deep red, and Shi's eyes narrowed. "Well, my name is Nathanael Butler, and I'm the benefactor of this little operation. I'm in my thirties, though I'd rather not say how far along I am, and, well, I'm open to all sorts of experiences."

"Oh, I know what you mean," Ka replied, blushing even brighter than before, "I'm a pretty open minded girl myself, ya know? I mean, to anything, really. So, uh—"

"He's twice as old as you are at least," Shi muttered.

"Shut up, idiot!" the girl shouted into her partner's face before turning back to Nathanael, holding herself somewhat timidly, "So, uh, will we ever meet in person?"

"Eventually we might," chuckled Nathanael, "However, that'll only happen if you do exactly as Claude orders you, okay?"

"Right, exactly, I'll do every word he says!" Ka replied, grinning a deep, broad smile as she saluted the television set, unabashed, her eyes filled with a light not unlike that of someone filled with passionate admiration. Shi, on the other hand, while not necessarily angry or even truly jealous, appeared anxious, shifting his weight from foot to foot, his hands occasionally clenching and unclenching as the seconds passed. He looked absolutely uncomfortable.

To be fair, Claude was just as uncomfortable with Miyamoto's daughter in the room.

"So, Nathanael," Frollo replied, taking a few steps, the younger man's white hair bouncing in the air as he passed, his black attire and jacket drifting in the nonexistent winds with an almost insidious wave, "I take it that, if Surge arrives, which he will, that your orders are to kill him and his two partners on sight?"

Nathanael's lips curled into a broad little grin upon hearing this, his eyes glowing with an amused, off-handedly wicked light. "But of course. Your orders are to kill all of the intruders."

"Wait, kill!" the Meowth at Miyamoto's daughter's feet stammered, surprising Claude yet again. A Meowth that could speak? Then again, why not? The girl was Miyamoto's daughter, after all. "Don't ya just mean t' capture 'em or just rough them up a little?"

"No, I mean kill," Nathanael replied.

"As in render unable to breath, to ensure their heart cannot beat ever again, to see to it that they never saw the light of day ever again," Frollo replied, "Really for a talking Pokemon you sure cannot understand simple concepts."

"I know what kill means!" the Meowth stammered, "I just didn't think ya'd mean we really had t' kill someone!"

"Oh, but we must. We can't have that man going around ruining the plans we have by ruining Nathanael's good name now, can we?" Frollo asked, arms folded over his chest.

"But surely there's another way than just killing them," the purple haired boy stammered, his eyes widened.

"There isn't," Frollo replied, laughing, "If you're so worried about killing, then just capture them and give them to us." Claude didn't need to be a psychic to see the stress on the boy's face, his lips pulled tight, his eyebrows knotted. He didn't need to be a psychic to tell the Meowth was in agreement with its master. He didn't need to be a psychic to tell that Miyamoto's daughter agreed with the other two.

Just like Miyamoto.

"I will leave the rest in your faithful hands, Claude," Nathanael chuckled, "Don't fail me."

As the screen faded to black, Claude was left staring at it, blankly, his eyes lowered to the ground. They couldn't fail. If they did, all that Claude had longed to succeed at, all that he had tried to plot and plan, all the effort put into the last eight years of searching, would've been in vain. All the trips taken to recapture Mewtwo after he escaped Giovanni's grasp eight years earlier, the rediscovery of New Island and the lab developed there, Giovanni's sudden case of amnesia when it came to the topic of Mewtwo, and, in the end, convincing Giovanni to make himself, Claude, the head of the Pokemon cloning operation once more.

All was riding on this one moment.

"I will not fail, Nathanael Butler."

#

The moment Gyarados pulled up to the beach, Ash hopped off of the head of the great sea serpent, the sand around his feet bouncing into the air as he took several steps forward, glancing around anxiously as Misty and Molly disembarked, Pikachu hopping off of the beast onto Ash's shoulders, grateful once more to be on solid ground again, sighing in relief. Gyarados was returned to its ball in a flash of scarlet light as Misty pocketed the sphere that was now in possessions of her great long serpent.

Before them was a grand city, its buildings stretching into the clouds above them. Though not as huge as Saffron or Goldenrod, the field of buildings could easily fit a dozen Pallet Towns within its area, filled with stores, a Pokemon Center, a gym, and an entire field filled with Pokemon known as the Saffari Zone. Returning to the place where he had first captured his Taurus reminded Ash of the pains he still felt in his testicles from where those damn shoulder blades hit him in his most vulnerable place.

"Wait, where are we? This isn't Cinnabar—wait a second. This is Fuchsia City, isn't it?" Molly asked, glancing around, curiously.

"That is correct."

Ash leapt into the air as a dark haired figure emerged from the depths of oblivion. There stood Sabrina, a critical expression on her face, her eyes narrowed hauntingly as she took several steps forward, her arms at her sides as her long mane of greenish purple hair bounced in the wind, drifting eerily like a ghost's mane. No matter how "good" Sabrina became, it didn't change the fact that she could still be creepy as a Darkrai's nightmares.

"You need to give us some warning! I mean, really!" stammered Molly, who, in her fright, had leapt a foot into the air, like Ash, but as opposed to Ash, she tumbled headlong into the sand, her eyes covered with moist pebbles of eroded Earth. She was tearing as the pellets of sand stunk the corneas of her eyes, her voice louder than Misty's when she was vehement, and, take Ash's word for it, that was pretty damn loud.

"I apologize," Sabrina said, a hint of genuine regret in her voice, but, for the most part, sounding as though she was, for all intents and purposes, indifferent, "However, we need to act immediately. There is no time to waste."

"Why's that?" Misty asked, curiously.

"Because as we speak, Nathanael gets closer and closer to getting exactly what he wants." Emerging behind them was Lt. Surge, a man Ash hadn't seen in years, a man with massive arms folded over a gigantic, broad chest. At his side were two cohorts, a rather muscular male and a woman who looked as though she could bench-press both Misty and Ash without breaking a sweat. To say she was even female pushed what qualified as female in Ash's books. Even now, the sight of Surge, as Ash remembered the beating he had been dealt at his hands, sent chills up his spine. Surely now if they were to have a rematch, Ash would destroy him, but, even as he thought of it, the prospect of battling Surge would have to wait for another time. Right now, there was something else they needed to do.

"You went to New Island, did you not?" Sabrina asked, cooly.

"Yeah, we did," Ash replied, nodding.

"And what did you find there?"

"Team Rocket," Ash replied, simply.

"And what were they—"

"We know what we saw, and we know you know what we saw too!" Misty snapped, "You're the psychic here, and I'm sure you told those three about what we were gonna see too, right?"

Sabrina grinned, slightly. "Perceptive. You're absolutely right, too. And I also know that, as of now, half of Team Rocket's cloning facilities are currently obliterated."

"Wait, half! You mean there's another base?" Ash stammered. Destroying one hadn't been difficult, no, but to think that such a large scale operation had never been noticed by anyone in the surrounding area was a little hard to believe. What, did they pay people money not to rat them out? Was it in a remote location like New Island? Where was the other base? It wouldn't be somewhere stupid, like, say, in a casino in the middle of Celadon, right? Now that would just be idiotic!

"No, they're two more bases," Lt. Surge replied, "We took care of the first one, which was in a casino smack dab in the middle of Celadon, then you destroyed the second, and now the third one is right here in Fuchsia City."

Ash sighed. "I can't believe they'd put a base in the middle of Celadon—"

"There's more important things than that to worry about!" snapped Misty, rounding on Ash.

"Indeed. There is an enemy you all need to be weary of," Sabrina said, her voice whispery and fearsome.

"Who's that?" the muscular girl asked, "I'm pretty sure that they won't be able to stand up against us."

"It's a psychic by the name of Frollo," Sabrina said, "He's an equal to my power, and, to be completely honest, a rival of mine."

"You know this guy?" Ash asked, curiously.

Sabrina took a second to pause before continuing. "Frollo was the first person ever to defeat the Saffron Gym many years ago. He beat me with great difficulty, yes, but he was the first to ever overtake me in battle. Apparently, he was my equal in power at the time, but, as the years passed, he'd develop his psychic abilities, growing stronger and stronger as I too developed my strength. However, after Ash defeated me, I learned that the power of love does enhance the strength of psychic bonds between a trainer and Pokemon. However, while I developed my bonds with my Pokemon, he'd developed his psychic abilities in a darker, crueler fashion."

"How so?" Ash asked, feeling his body grasped in a rather powerful, potent chill as he stared at the visibly shaken up Sabrina, a woman who often was completely stoic. However, Ash could see her wide eyes, her trembling fingers, and her pale skin covered in sweat. If a woman like her was so terrified by such a man, then what kind of horror laid in the future for Ash if he were to run into this monster?

"He killed people and Pokemon alike, and absorbed their psychic energies into himself."

There was a moment of silence as Sabrina stared at all of them in turn. Finally, after a second, Misty stirred, her skin pale and sweaty, her eyes wide with terror as the seconds passed, her lips puckering outward as words formed between them. "What kind of monster does that?"

"Well, clearly he does," Lt. Surge replied, frowning slightly, "How exactly does he assimilate their minds?"

Sabrina frowned, "The moment one dies their mind and soul are ejected from the body. What Frollo does is simply assimilate the minds with his psychic abilities, an act forbidden by God and nature. It's the same as cannibalism, really. Your body absorbs the nutrients of the flesh eaten. However, unlike cannibalism where that nutrients can be assimilated and then passed through the body, the collective mass of energy cannot decrease in intensity, so it quite literally adds to one's permanent power level. Within Frollo's mind and soul resides the minds and souls of a thousand murdered humans and their Pokemon, all absorbed into the sick recesses of his mind."

"How do you know all this?" Molly asked, terrified.

"Because I could sense that Frollo has touched Nathanael's mind."

There was another moment of silence, as Ash absorbed the meaning of those words. After doing so, he rolled the thoughts around in his brain for a second before asking, confused, "Uh, he what?"

Sabrina frowned, "His psychic energies have come in contact with Nathanael's."

"Oh." Ash nodded for a moment before asking, a toothy grin on his lips, "What does that mean?"

"He read his mind."

"Oh! I see. Why couldn't you have just said that?" Ash asked, curiously.

"It sounds less impressive."

"Can't argue with that."

"So do you know what he read from Nathanael's mind?" the male at Surge's side asked, curiously.

"I can tell you that Frollo knows exactly what Nathanael is truly planning, and is readily willing to aid him to a point. However, Frollo has his own scheme, his own agenda, though as to what that is, I don't exactly know," Sabrina replied.

"I never knew Team Rocket had such monsters working with them," Misty replied, "I'm starting to miss Jessie and James already." Her arms were trembling as goose bumps rose on her skin. Ash's lips frowned into a tight little frown. He reached out for her arm, rubbing his thumb up the scale of her soft flesh. Misty glanced over at Ash, a gesture that sent a strange sensation surging up the scale of Ash's body as she did so. What was this feeling? Why did it feel so good?

"It's okay, Misty. Worst case scenario, I'll just punch the guy right across the face," Ash laughed.

"Pika Pi!"

"If you encounter Frollo, leave him to me," Sabrina said, "No one else can handle that level of psychic energy. You'd be killed without difficulty. Only a psychic can stop him."

"But he's stronger than you, right?" Ash asked, anxiously, "Wouldn't he just beat you and then absorb your mind? We should stand together and fight him as one!" Ash couldn't let their friend be beaten by that bully, that monster. It wasn't fair for anyone to have to stand up against such a demon on their own. He wouldn't let his friends be killed, not now, not ever! They had gone up against Team Rocket hundreds of times in the past, and always managed to overcome the odds and beat them. They couldn't let them win this time just because they hired a lunatic!

Sabrina smiled. "You truly are every bit as much of a help as I remember."

"A help?"

"Yes, I'd say you'd make a great hero when you grow up, but I'd be lying."

"Hey! What's that mean?"

"How can you grow up to be a hero if you're one already?"

Ash blushed at this. "Uh, thank you."

"It's not a problem. Alright, listen: Lt. Surge is wanted by the Pokemon league because Nathanael has convinced them he is a threat. We need to be careful the police do not interrupt our operation."

"If the police are after us, why are we having this meeting in the middle of a public beach?" Misty asked, curiously.

No one responded at this.

"You know, that's a very good point," Lt. Surge replied, glancing shiftily toward the area around them, "Maybe we should—"

"There's no point," chuckled Sabrina, "In ten seconds, I'm going to teleport you all to a Pokemon Center, and then into the woods as close to the base as Frollo will let us. Ready?"

"Wait, what—" Before Ash could even finish speaking, his body was consumed by brilliant light as all reality faded away before him, sparks of psychic energy swirling around him, ensnaring him in a net of brilliant pewter light. He felt his feet leave the ground as a sensation of tugging from within his navel pulled him backward, through space and time, before all around him disappeared once more.

#

Sabrina stared at the patch of sand where her comrades had been. She sighed as she reflected upon the great sacrifices they had all gone to in order to bring her plan this far. However, unfortunately, there was one instrumental step in the plan that was required to prove Surge's innocence and discredit Nathanael forever more. She sighed, slowly, as she withdrew a PokeGear from her pocket, opening it up next to her face after hastily dialing a specific, short number.

"Hello, this is the Fuchsia City police. Name your emergency."

"Yes, this is an anonymous tip. I sighted the fugitive Lt. Surge heading into the mountains north of the city."

#

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Jessie?" James asked, glancing over at his red haired companion.

"Of course this is! If we do this job right, then the boss will finally respect us for all the good stuff we've done in the past, and finally give us all the meaty projects again, right?" Jessie replied, a lack of commitment in her voice. She couldn't fool James. After all, she was just like James in so many ways. What was the point of being respected by the boss if they had to kill someone, or anyone? What if they had to kill the twerps?

If they killed the twerps, then they'd finally be able to capture Pikachu. But how rewarding would it be, how fun could it be, if they had to kill people to retrieve it? All the fun of being an outlaw was the freedom, the mischief of it all. But murder? That wasn't mischief at all! It was evil! Pure and unadulterated evil! Sure, the three of them prided themselves on being bad guys, but there's a limit to what they'd do and what they wouldn't do.

They actually grew to like the twerp, too.

"I know I ain't doin' nothin' for that Frollo guy," Meowth snapped, "Somethin' about him gave me the creeps, real bad."

"I know. The moment he opened his mouth he just really left me feeling like I needed a shower," James mumbled, holding himself as he trembled.

"But guys, he's a psychic! He can probably tell we don't like him, but if we don't disobey, maybe—"

But before Jessie could finish, a voice rang out through the air, a high, yet still boyish, voice that the trio recognized almost instantly. "I won't do it! I'm not just gonna let people walk all over me anymore!" For a moment, all was silent, before a whispery voice in the distant spoke, but, alas, the words were muffled by the walls between the source of the sound and the trio of listeners. So, like any good eavesdropper, the trio slowly lurked around the dark corners of the walls, their ears open for the sound of voices in the distance. Finally, after several seconds, they came in range of voices.

"Listen, Shi, you don't have many options in this world but to listen to me," the whispery, foul voice of their psychic superior said, drifting through the hallways of their base, the white haired, slender deity hiding in the shadows as the dark haired boy lowered his head in shame, his face covered in dark, humiliated shadows. "All you have is me, my will, my orders. If you don't listen to me, then it's back to the pit."

"I know! But I can't kill anything! And neither can she!" Shi stammered, his eyes staring horror-struck upon the ground."

Frollo's wicked lips curled into a sneer, his flawless face filled with an evil vileness that no man could comprehend. The gaze could kill a thousand innocent Butterfree alone, and staring into those irises filled with malice made Jessie, James, and Meowth feel as though they were staring into the brutal massacre of said beautiful creatures. "But you seemed to have no qualms about murdering everyone before."

"But that was different!"

"You brought this suffering upon yourself. After killing everyone where you came from, what's a few more bodies on the murder list?"

"Shut up! I didn't—I mean—"

"Don't deny it! You're just as wicked at heart as I am," the psychic replied, grinning, his eyes glinting with unbridled cruelty, "And what's with all these cries of pain, anyway? We all know who you're doing this for. It's all to ease your own conscience, right? To make yourself feel better as you run away from responsibility again?"

"No! And you know that's not why!"

"But it is, isn't it? Isn't that the entire reason for everything you've done in your life you sniveling coward?"

"No! I'm doing this for her!"

Frollo's lips curled into that wicked grin once more. "Oh, for that girl who takes pleasure in beating you once you're down? What could you possibly find out of helping that hopeless bitch?"

"She's not a bitch. You know what I did to her. All the horrible things I did—this is the least I can do."

"Well, we all know the extent of your desires is just to have sex for her. You don't care if she lives or dies, right? You showed your true colors last time she was in need of your help and you never went—"

At that moment, the boy darted toward the psychic, drew back his fist, and threw it toward the man. For an instant, it appeared that the helpless psychic, not even bothering to put up a defense, was about to be torn to shreds, but, before the trio's very eyes, the boy screamed in pain, crumbling to the ground as he grabbed at his hair and scalp. His veins were bulging out of his skin as he shrieked to high heaven, crying for his messiah to salvage him from the eternal pain, no doubt.

Soon, the screams died away as Shi gasped for air, panting weakly on the ground as the psychic stood over him, glaring down at him with a look of pure, sour glee. "So now you finally see what you must do. If you disobey me, I'll kill both of you, and send you back to that hell world. Of course, your girlfriend won't know when you die first she'll wake up somewhere else. I'll take great pleasure in watching her cry over your body before I kill you. Or maybe I should keep you separated forever so you'll both be miserable and alone." The psychic turned around, walking deeper into the shadows, away from Shi, away from the trio, away from all hope of redemption. "Remember, I brought you into this world, and I can just as easily take you out."

Shi remained on the ground, head lowered in shame before, to the trio's astonishment, tears began to run down his cheeks, his face contorting as he sobbed alone in a pathetic heap on the ground, his entire body trembling with sadness as the seconds passed. As he sobbed, the trio left him alone, left him along with his emotions, if not only to put more distance between them and the villain they answered to.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

"So what's the plan?" Elle asked, curiously.

"There was some sort of thought put into our attack and no one told me?" Molly asked, eyebrow raised.

Misty sighed, stretching her arms into the air a little as the rag tag group hid behind the nearest vehicle. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder so delicately, a hawk on a tree branch, hunting its rodent prey below. There was a sort of determination upon her partner's face that made him more attractive than ordinary, yet, at the same time, sort of intimidating. His eyes were narrowed, in a rather dark way. It wasn't simply that he was determined to succeed, it was that he was driven. Misty wasn't sure how this emotion came about, though. Had excitement and anxiety driven him to the point where he didn't want to back down anymore?

Or maybe he was just really pumped to kick ass and chew bubblegum?

That was a terrible line.

"This is as far as Frollo will allow us to enter with teleportation," Sabrina whispered, glancing over the hood of the truck they hid behind as the great, austere building before them. Misty had before queried to herself how Team Rocket could remain hidden so close to a major city for so long, but, judging by the presentation of the building, had Misty passed by this place on her old bike, she'd never have given it a passing glance. Hiding in plain sight was a remarkable strategy, really. It probably doubled as a genuine research facility, too.

"Security doesn't look tight," Surge mumbled, about to rise to his feet, only for Sabrina to place a hand on his shoulder, keeping him restrained.

"It's all a façade. Frollo knows we're here," Sabrina murmured, "He's armed his men with flash grenades."

Lt. Surge laughed, reaching into his pocket, withdrawing several pairs of sunglasses, which he handed to each of the soldiers around him, including Misty, who placed them on the bridge of her nose, simply. "This'll take care of that problem. Don't worry; I used them during combat. If you were thrown into the sun, the light wouldn't blind ya even when you were five inches away from it."

"Wouldn't you be dead?" Misty asked, confused.

"That's beside the point."

"So when do we get ready to fight?" Ash asked, his voice betraying a slight tremble. Was he trembling out of a longing to fight, or was that him finally betraying his inner fear? Regardless of what the source of that slight tremble was, the simple fact was that Misty herself was completely and utterly terrified. After all, this wasn't simply a small brawl: it was an all-out war. Frollo was able to assimilate their very minds, take away all that gave someone their individuality. In a sense, Misty would utterly cease to be. Her very mind would be stolen, and all the might associated with it. She trembled at the mere thought.

It was a hell she couldn't comprehend: utter annihilation.

"We move now," Sabrina replied, "Get in any way you can."

Misty watched from the corner of her eyes as Surge and his two cohorts darted from around the butt of the car, darting toward the facility, their bodies ducked low as they ran against the wall, and, to the remaining quartet's awe, ran straight through the front door, and, if their ears didn't deceive them, unleash a torrent of electrical shocks that was so intense the windows bubbled out from within only to shatter outward. The ground was littered in glass as Rocket bodies were thrown out in all directions, bloody messes on the ground.

"Are they insane?" Molly stammered, "Didn't they ever hear of subtly before?"

"Well, they certainly will make our jobs easier," Sabrina replied, "I can sense it already. They're breaking into the basement. That's where the Rocket base is, and that'll give you a chance to find a disguise."

"A disguise?"

Sabrina nodded, at which the other three followed her. Misty avoided looking at the broken bodies on the ground, the forms bleeding and torn up on the ground. It was best not to think of them as human and more as glorified vermin. After all, it wasn't like they had families, friends, or any social lives at all. They didn't have someone they'd call home or talk to outside of this one little base. They were hardened criminals who deserved exactly what they got.

Right?

Inside the lobby, Sabrina roughly pulled off a Rocket uniform from the nearest female soldier, and pulled it onto her own body, hiding her old outfit under a new uniform. She glanced over her shoulder as she pulled the beret she had stolen over her head as she murmered, "Go crazy. Find one. Keep the computers intact. I need you to raise as much hell as possible, though. Kill anyone you see."

"Kill?" Misty stammered.

"Actually, you don't need to. Surge will probably get pissed if you take away one of his victims. When you're ready, the elevator shaft looks screwed up, so just climb down the emergency ladder." Indeed, this was true. The steam and smoke rising from the remains of the emergency escape filled the ceiling with a thick cloud of smog, a repulsive thing that left it impossible to even see the walls and surface without seeing layers of dark soot.

"I can't do this," Molly mumbled, weakly, as she stared down at a broken body below her, a surprisingly young girl along the ranks of Team Rocket that looked no older than she was, "This is wrong, it's just evil."

"No, it's war," Sabrina replied, glancing over one last time, "If you don't fight, you'll die. It's that simple. Which do you prefer? Life? Or death?"

#

"Jessie, does this mean we have to actually kill someone?" James asked, his voice filled with anxiety.

Jessie shot him an anxiously frustrated glance as the sirens blared, lights flashing in all directions, glinting off the sweat on their skin as hundreds of grunts emerged from the wood works, darting toward the brawl in the first lab, where, apparently, absolute chaos was reigning. From what she could hear in the ear pieces stuck in their ears, the situation wasn't good. "There are three invaders on the first floor, and four in the lobby," Frollo's sociopathic calm voice whispered, delicately, "I want you to all retreat to Combat Section D, and then return to the lab once the trio are trapped."

"He makes it sound so easy," Meowth mumbled, glancing at the others, "So whadda we do?"

"We do as he says," Jessie said, simply, "What choice do we really have? If we do that, we'll get a good word in with the boss, and—"

"That doesn't sound like what Miyamoto's daughter would say."

Jessie turned around at the sound of her mother's name as Claude emerged from the darkness, his arms folded across his chest, a slight grin on his lips. How did he know who her mother was? How did he know where they were? How did such a big guy just sneak up on them like that, exactly? Rather than ask those important questions, all Jessie managed to sputter out was, "No one asked for your opinion, you gorilla!"

Claude chuckled, ever so slightly, a grin on his lips. "Gorilla? That's exactly what Miyamoto always called me when we were looking for Mew together."

"For Mew?" Jessie repeated, lamely, staring at this man with a look of awe and, for the first time in her life, reverence. He knew of her mother? He knew her mother? He had known her mother? Years had passed since the last time she had seen that woman, a woman who had vanished looking for Mew years ago, a woman who hadn't been seen in over a decade. Some said she was still looking for Mew, but aside from a crazy rumor here and there, Jessie had resigned to the fact that her mother must have died. Claude's confirmation that he was no longer looking for Mew all but proved Miyamoto died looking for a legendary beast.

"Yeah. She was such a great fighter she was," Claude laughed, "Ah well. Don't let an older man's memories get in the way of the present. Let's be fair: it's clear what must be done. You guys can see it. I'm departing now through the teleportation system. It's how we're transferring a lot of major instruments from this lab to the one in Viridian. I would stay and fight, but, as the one in charge of this operation, I can't afford to be arrested or killed. If you wish, you could come with me to defend me, or you can defend this base a little longer."

"Isn't the whole reason you hired us was to defend this here base?" Meowth asked, skeptically.

"That is true. However, that was long before I realized I was dealing with Miyamoto's daughter. So, how about it? Care to help an old man across the pond to the head of our operations?"

Grinning, Jessie nodded. It was a hell of a lot better than having to kill, and what did she really have to lose? In actuality, nothing whatsoever.

#

Ash arrived in the totaled lab below. He landed on his feet after dismounting the ladder, staring down at the wide-spread wreckage that had consumed this place of stability, this realm of civil unity. It resembled the base they had demolished on New Island, except now it was littered with dead corpses, blackened and bloody as they rested on the ground, weak and frail, near death. Ash had hidden his old clothing, along with rest of them, in a secret hiding place only Sabrina knew of, as she had teleported them off into another place, potentially her own gym. The rocket uniform she chose was rather moist with blood, giving it the appearance of a person who had just waded through a sea of corpses. Misty and Molly looked the same, but somehow Sabrina had found the only bloodless uniform in the batch, looking like a flawless angel of death as she darted deeper into the depths of oblivion, her long tresses of hair dancing into the air as she ran deeper into the pits of the lair.

"So, uh, where do we go?" Ash asked after Sabrina was out of sight.

"Well, I guess we go deeper?" Misty replied.

"Sounds like a reasonable plan," Molly responded, "But the problem with that is that we kinda don't know which way deeper is."

"Don't worry about that. You really aren't going anywhere, so enjoy the ride where you are."

The high voice sent a furious shudder through Ash's body. There was something about that tone that was so irritating, so triumphant and dauntingly irritating. Clenching his fists, he turned to face two Rockets, berets on their heads as they glared at the intruders. One was a scarlet haired beauty, the other had locks of onyx. However, the thing that stood out to Ash was how the duo were quite literally four years younger than they were. They were at the same age Ash was when he first parted with Misty, that tender, emotional age.

"Oh, what're you talking about?" Misty asked, play acting as a Rocket Grunt, even lowering her voice to a more robust, hoarse manor, "We're on the same team, right?"

"Look, we aren't stupid," the girl replied, her eyes narrowed, "Well, he is, but I'm not!"

"Hey!"

"Shut up, idiot! Now, look, if you were on our team, what's our boss's name?" It was only then that Ash realized that the only name he knew of in association with this operation was Frollo's name, and he had no idea whether he was the boss or not. Regardless, it was worth a shot to say it. After all, what other answer did they have? There wasn't any other choice was there? Maybe he'd be lucky and that was the right choice.

Judging by the grin running up the girl's face, that cruel, sadistic grin, he guessed wrong.

"Oh boy," Misty mumbled, withdrawing a Poke-Ball from her hip, unleashing, with a flash of light, her Corsola, its appendages of coral sticking out in all directions, emerging before er.

"Sceptile! Help out Misty's Corsola!" Ash snapped, summoning the great green reptile in the air, leaves sprouting out of its skin as the seconds passed, the great beast roaring out into the air for a moment as Molly summoned her own Sneasel once more, its claws bared as the seconds passed, the trio of fearsome Pokemon glaring at the duo of Rocket Elites, their lips curled into satisfied smiles.

The scarlet haired girl tossed two balls into the air, as the boy tossed two Poke Balls into the air as well. There was a great flash of light as the room filled with a brilliant nova of brilliance. There, the energy condensed into four physical forms. At the black haired boy's side there were two of the most unlikely creatures Ash had ever expected to emerge from a Pokeball: a Phione and a Manaphy. How did this guy find himself in possession of two such powerful legendary Pokemon? How could anyone physically capture such creatures like that? How was it even remotely possible? However, the two creatures at the side of the scarlet haired woman were even more shocking than the creatures at her partner's side: Cresselia and Darkrai.

"This isn't gonna end well, is it?" Molly stammered.

"Sceptile! Use Razor—"

"Reflect," the girl replied, simply. The leaves that shot from the green Sceptile's body slammed against a barrier of white that appeared before the crescent-shaped deity, the leaves thrown aside harmlessly as Manaphy darted forward, a jet of almighty bubbles exploding from its form, great glowing bubbles that slammed into Sneasel's body, before the creature swung its jet of watery bubbles around, slamming all three Pokemon before them, the trio being thrown against the back wall as their trainers stared in horror at the destruction.

"There have to be easier ways to do this," Misty mumbled.

"Pikachu, use Thunder—" Darkrai turn toward the offending mouse, and, without warning, the ghoul's eyes glowed bright blue, a shockwave of radiant azure soared through the air, slicing through oxygen in a sharp explosion forward as the energy collided headlong into Pikachu's face. To Ash's horror, the poor critter fell from his shoulder, unconscious and asleep, snoring lightly.

"Pikachu! Wake up!" Ash snapped, pulling his friend, slapping him across the cheek. Doing this, however, managed to successfully awaken his friend, along with summoning his wrath, which came in the form of several volts of electricity. He was thrown into the air, electric waves stimulating every painfilled nerve in his body as he was thrown into the ground at the duo's feet, at their mercy. As Pikachu stared in horror at where his master had fallen, Cresselia glanced over at him, only for a pulse of invisible strength surged toward him, the very earth being ripped apart as the wave tore through the air, into Pikachu, throwing him straight into the now cratered wall, a wall cratered from the force of Cresselia's very attack.

"If you surrender now, maybe we'll let you live," the girl replied, smirking smugly.

"But Ka, we can't kill them like this," the boy replied, "We can't kill anyone."

"You idiot, Shi! The hot guy said kill 'em, so we'll kill 'em! I told him I'd do what he said, and by God, I don't wanna piss him off. He was so dreamy, too, like how he never shaved and everything."

"Are you talking about Nathanael Butler?" Misty asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Why yes, of course we are!" Ka replied, laughing, "But of course someone of your inferior caliber couldn't possibly manage to stand up to someone of our elite status."

"Hell! Take him if you want! He's a rat bastard anyway," Misty snapped.

"A rat bastard?" Ka repeated, her jaw clenched, "You don't deserve to say his name with that mouth of yours!"

"Ka, this isn't the time for this," Shi whispered, tugging at her sleeve, "Let's just take them to Butch and Cassidy."

"Shut up!" Ka snapped, "I—wait, what?" For an instant, her face grew blank, only for a slight grin to spread across her face, a wicked little grin on her pretty face. "Yeah, ya know, that ain't too stupid of an idea, ya know?"

"What're you talking about?" Molly asked, terrified.

The scarlet haired beauty turned toward the younger girl, a grin on her lips, "You just shut up and take this." Ka handed Molly a trinity of grenades, which Ash recognized as light grenades. "If you do us a big favor, then we'll take you straight to the center of this little base, okay?"

"What's that?" Ash asked, watching with an eyebrow raised as Shi handed him his grenades, carefully and delicately.

"We need you to make Butch and Cassidy, and those other two idiots Jessie and James, look like complete losers again," Ka replied.

"Ditto!"

"Hey, what was that sound?" Misty asked, glancing around as sweat suddenly burst from both Shi and Ka's foreheads.

"Probably one of the dying clones. Yeah, that's it," Ka laughed, hastily returning both her Cresselia and Darkrai to their balls as Shi did the same, "Listen, I'm gonna say this one more time just to make it easier for you two to understand, okay? We're going to arrest you, then bring you to Butch and Cassidy, alright? We go back on duty, you do crazy stuff to embarrass 'em, then move on to Jessie and James. Got it?"

"Lemme get this straight. So you let us destroy this base, and in return we just embarrass your competition?" Misty asked, skeptical.

"Yup."

"And who's saying you're gonna keep your word?" Molly asked.

"Well, we don't have anything to really prove we're being honest," Shi replied.

"But we can always just kill you the old fashioned way," Ka replied, shrugging lazily.

"We'll go with the whole embarrassing Butch and Kassidy thingy," Ash replied, nervously laughing to himself.

"Yeah, figured you'd say that."

#

Surge darted down the empty hall as bodies litered the walls, their very skulls pressed up against the surfaces, blood running down the surfaces. Rotom drifted before Elle, a grin on the girl's lips, sparks flying from the magnificent field of Magneton, a couple Electabuzz at their sides. Before them, on Surge's shoulders, was Raichu, sparks flying from their cheeks. It was odd like this, almost nostalgic in a way.

Nostalgic how? Years ago they had been soldiers on the battlefield together, fighting wars that most children tried not to think of. They fought organizations just like Team Rocket, some even more vile in the past, some that had attempted experiments and procedures that defeated all sense of moral limitations. Though these fiends were underground, and not nearly as mainstream as the Rockets, they existed. Team Aqua and Magma were not the only groups that sought to alter the world using legendaries, nor were Team Galactic the only ones that sought to create new realities. There always had been groups like them, always would be, and no one could ever stop 'em all.

That's where people like Lt. Surge had come in. During battles of magnitudes the likes of which no mortal ever could imagine, he had come in, armed with firearms and Pokemon that would infiltrate the bases, and destroy every last member so no one would even need to know they existed. To him, he had learned that everyone was just a baby. Elle and Watson had been young recruits of his, training alongside him on his missions.

Elle's Rotom was, and always would be, one of the greatest Pokemon he'd ever had the pleasure of meeting, powerful and mighty, able to manipulate all the equipment around them, all sorts of mechanical objects within range, if not only for the sole purpose of destroying a target. Watson was perhaps the greatest hacker he had ever met, and his Pokemon were pretty damn powerful in and of themselves to boot.

But what about Surge? The power house, a trainer who actually told his Raichu to go easy on the trainers who came to his gym, if not only to ensure he didn't kill the opposition. Whenever there was an issue too big for ordinary people, the League used to come to him at his gym to just take care of it, and, with the aid of Watson and Elle, he'd destroy the problem in an instant.

His gym.

Nathanael Butler had no damn idea who he had just fucked with. The bastard was an oblivious suit on a board of directors who didn't know about battle, nor about true heart ache, struggle, and the euphoria of triumphant victory. Those were emotions familiar to Surge, awfully familiar, and awfully potent. Even now, as he neared the end of the room, where a light shone brightly before him, he knew what to do.

"Let's finish this."

The large stadium before them was lined with seats, seats occupied by Rocket grunts who stared down at the trio as they entered. Surge found it amusing how they had all settled down to watch Surge kill them all. All it took was Rotom one fast charge, and the stadium would swallow them up, ensnare it in a great pair of jaws. Or at least it would have, had Surge not noticed their opponent. His black jacket drifted out behind him as he approached the trio, the white hair eerily levitating around him as he glared at Surge with eyes so dark and cruel that even the most monstrous man in the world could not compare. There was something so evil, so purely cruel and perverse, with that man.

Still, the guy was a light weight.

"Listen up!" Surge snapped, pointing right at the enemy, his arms folded across his scarlet R emblem, "We're here for one reason and one reason only. Everyone in this room is gonna die tonight, you ya better get a few last prayers in before we pulverize ya! So why don't you just bend down and beg for mercy, baby?"

"Baby?" chuckled the enemy, "I fear you are very much mistaken. The roles are reversed, you see. It is you who shall die, and I who shall laugh over your bodies. Not only that, but it'll be fun."

"Just who the hell do you think you are, talking like that?" Elle snapped, clenching her fist fiercely as the army of Pokemon behind them roared in disapproval.

"Well, I'm Frollo."

"So what? We're still gonna kick your ass no matter who you are!" Surge snapped.

Frollo chuckled, grinning slightly. "I don't know if you realize, but that comment just there just sealed your fate. I can sense the fear in your heart, Surge. I can tell it's there. You know it. I can sense it."

The lieutenant laughed at this, shaking his head. "What's that supposed t' be? Psychological warfare? C'mon! We're trained professionals. That might work on some fourteen year old chump, but it ain't gonna fool us."

Frollo chuckled again. "I see. Well then, I suppose I need to put fear into your hearts the old fashioned way." A ball appeared in Frollo's outstretched hand, no, six balls appeared, as they all simultaneously exploded into a brilliant nova of light. "Well, let us begin."


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

Ka glanced at the three prisoners at her side, separating her from the idiot over there, glancing off into the distance. What was with that stupid guy, anyway? Why was he always slouching like that? What an idiot, what a stupid, stupid moron! She sighed, running a hand through her locks of scarlet, as she resumed her ordinary position, standing erect, standing straight, remembering the very reason she had agreed to all this stupidity.

It had been when the alarms first went off. No, it had been before even that. Earlier, Shi kept averting his glance from anyone's eyes. It was odd, because, even for a spineless dolt like him, he tended to look people at least in the eyes. He was ashamed of something; she knew his stupid mind well enough to pick up on that. Frowning, she had approached him, trying to spark a response with a well-placed insult. When that didn't work, she resorted to a more physical interrogation method: she slapped him around a bit until his cheeks were as scarlet as her own tresses.

Finally, he spoke to her. "I feel a little sick."

"Well, look, I just got better from a cold, so—"

"That's not what I mean," Shi replied, frowning.

"Oh?"

Sighing, the spineless fool leaned his body up against the nearest wall, crossing them over his emblazoned chest as he lowered his head, his locks of brown tumbling over his brow, obscuring his eyes from all. "We have to kill them, don't we? The enemies, right?"

"That's our job, yeah."

"We don't have a choice, do we?"

"Nope."

"Damn it," Shi mumbled, his voice cracking, "I don't know what to do, I just don't. I really don't think I can take this anymore. All this killing, all this violence."

"Hey, look, snap out of it already!" Ka snapped, "We're in a war, for the love of—They aren't gonna wait for ya to cry before killing you. It's kill or be killed. Don't you want to live?" Didn't he care if he lived or died? The idiot! The dolt! The complete fool! Didn't he know anything? Didn't he realize that if he didn't raise his balls up to the challenge and attacked that they'd both be killed? These trainers were strong, just like them, and even though Ka was an elite Rocket member, one of the best in the field, it didn't change the fact that there was still a risk of failure.

She didn't want to die.

"I know that, but seriously, there's got to be another way," Shi mumbled, lowering his head even lower. Another way? What was this guy? A wide-eyed idealist? What an idiot. This world wasn't perfect, nor could it be. It was the best they had, and if they had to kill a few people to preserve their way of life, end a few worlds to preserve their own, then Ka had no problem strangling people to death slowly just to keep her own dreams and reality around.

"Stop being pathetic," Ka mumbled, turning away, "We don't have much choice in what happens, alright? We're at their mercy, unless we put them in ours."

"Aw, is the poor baby complaining already?" Ka turned to see that bitch Cassidy pop up behind them, her locks of hair spread out into the air as she approached, Butch in close pursuit, a menacing grin on his lips. Those two pains in the ass! They were almost as bad as those other two, Jessie and the gay guy. "Look, the last thing we need is dead weight, so if you're just gonna mope around all day, we'll use you as bait."

"Hey! Weren't you two the ones who got beaten by that Ash guy in five seconds flat?" It wasn't like Ka liked defending Shi, but if he was made to look weak, then how would that reflect on Ka? It wasn't like she had any personal investment on his safety, but it was just that, well, she didn't want Cassidy to pick on her personal butt monkey. That was all, nothing more or less.

Cassidy didn't seem to get that. "Aw, defending your boyfriend?"

"He's NOT my boyfriend!" Ka snapped, her eyes wide with fury, "What about that guy? I hear Butch is another word for a super manly lady, so what does that make you?"

"At least you pronounced it right," Butch mumbled angrily.

"Are you just gonna take that insult sitting down like that!" Cassidy snapped, glaring back at her partner, her eyes wide with livid fury.

"What a bunch of idiots," Ka mumbled, "C'mon, Shi, let's go somewhere else." She reached out, grabbing her partner by the wrist, dragging him off. He glanced up at her, a startled expression in his eyes, a small smile spreading across his lips as Ka glanced away, if not only to hide the fact she too was smiling to herself. Why was it that his smile made her smile? That was stupid of both of them. Smiles must be contagious or something.

"You are really something, aren't ya?" Cassidy laughed at her back, reminding her of the fury surging inside her heart, "You're just a couple of little brats! You're so damn pathetic!"

Pathetic?

Once out of earshot, Ka turned to Shi, and mumbled, fiercely, "Don't thank me, idiot. I think I know a way to avoid that whole killing thing you were worried about." It was then that they formed their plan that they were now carrying off, a plan to humiliate their enemies without killing them, a plan to finally show that condescending bitch Cassidy just who was "pathetic" and who wasn't. A grin spread across Ka's lips as she and her partner brought the three prisoners into the deepest pits of the lair, down the hallways covered with documents and framed pictures of their fearless leader and major Rocket Elites from the past, into the power center of the lab.

Residing in the center of the room was a great power plant surrounded by great sparks of azure and yellow. Hundreds upon hundreds of Electrodes were placed in slots along the machine, every volt of energy being extracted from their bodies as small machines probed their surface. Misty, that girl with the pigtail who Ka recognized as Cerulean's gym leader, gasped upon seeing the Electrode. "How can you people do such a horrible thing? Those poor Pokemon…"

"It's inhumane, I know," Shi replied, frowning, "If it was up to me, I'd set them all free and donate them to the Safari Zone."

"But it isn't up to you, is it?" Ka heard that damn voice float into her ears once again, only this time, rather than scowl and wish to swear, she smiled as Butch and Cassidy reared their ugly heads before them, emerging from the shadows, grins on their lips as they approached, hands in their pockets, a laugh on their lips. Oh how she wanted to just punch that stupid bitch out right now, but she couldn't. Alas, she could only smile and nod.

"Well, I guess not," Ka replied, shrugging.

"Who're they?" Butch asked, skeptically gesturing toward the prisoners.

"Are you really stupid? It's clear those are the idiots who screwed up New Island base!" Cassidy snapped, "Ash, Misty, and that runt over there."

"Sorry! Didn't recognize 'em with the sunglasses on," laughed Butch.

"Are they really such good disguises?" Ash asked his partner in a whisper, momentarily confused.

"No, that guy's just stupid," Misty whispered back, sighing in exasperation.

"Well, you have them," Shi replied, walking behind the prisoners. Ka noticed, from the corner of her eye, that Shi handed each one a small key to the handcuffs they had them bound to, and, hastily, they each easily undid the locks, or at least loosened them just enough so that they could draw their hands out. The cuffs, rather than fall, remained stationary around their fingers as they held them lower, maintaining a handcuffed appearance.

Ka smirked, slightly. "We'll be heading out. Is that the teleporter over there?" she asked, gesturing toward a machine in the corner of the room. Their ticket out of there. She grinned, ever so slightly, as she considered destroying the other end of the machine, just to make it so that Ash and the others couldn't find their other base, and that Butch and Cassidy could not escape utter humiliation.

"You two aren't considering leaving, are you?" Cassidy asked, grinning in triumph.

"Well, this whole situation is getting a little out of hand for us children, so I guess you mature people should take care of it," Ka replied, grabbing Shi by the wrist. She glanced over her shoulder as Misty slowly withdrew the first flash grenade from her back pocket, still with her arms bound behind her, as though handcuffed. Ka almost wanted to watch the humiliation Cassidy went through, but knew she'd rather not find herself caught in this gigantic, potentially lethal, practical joke.

"Fine. Leave," Butch laughed, "We just guided all the rockets to watch Surge and his partners die, so I don't think we have a real problem."

"What did you say!" Ash snapped, drawing his fists forward, flash grenades in his hands as he glared at his opposition.

"Hey, wait! I thought you handcuffed—"

That was all Ka heard before she and Shi disappeared into the depths of the teleportation machine, all reality disappearing around them, their very atomic structures being disintegrated and reconstructed, space and time opening up for her to bypass the speed of light, or some other crazy shit that Ka really didn't understand all too well. Complicated astro-physics or quantum mechanics or whatever the hell made these machines up was never her strong point.

#

Alakazam. Mr. Mime. Medicham. Slowking. Gardevoir. Espion.

That duo of trinities stood before Surge and his army, each fearsome, each glaring straight at the Gym Leader's eyes, each one ready to pounce, to kill, to maim. The great leader's lips curled into a defiant sneer. He had been waiting for this fight, for this moment, for awhile now. Ever since that bastard Nathanael destroyed the gym, he had longed for the chance to beat those responsible to the ground. Rocket Grunts were like ants to him: not a lick of satisfaction. Seeing them bleed was one thing, but to beat down the high and mighty Frollo of Team Rocket? Now that was an experience in and of itself!

"I will give you one last chance to beg for your lives," Frollo replied, his grin informing Surge ever so subtly that even if the gym leader went down on his knees and kissed the man's ass, he'd still disembowel him for fun. Logically, Surge replied by flipping Frollo, one of Team Rocket's greatest and most powerful elites, the bird, telling him to shove that mercy up his ass. Rather than respond with a frantic rage, Frollo smirked once more, his grin revealing some of his teeth. "My Pokemon, kill them all."

Espion was the first to strike, darting forward like a blur through the air. Raichu was fast, but not fast enough to catch the psychic Pokemon emerging from behind him. He swirled around, tail outstretched, only for a sharp right hook from Medicham to send him flying off in the opposite direction, where Espion met the soaring rodent, her eyes glowing brilliant azure as a great wave of energy exploded from its body, ensnaring poor Raichu in its grasps, throwing it into the ground, and holding it down as tendrils of energy pressed it against the floor.

"Electabuzz! Thunder punch it!" Elle shouted as the great muscular fiend darted toward Espion. However, before he could reach its target, Medicham struck, slamming his fist against the great yellow giant's face. However, the other Electabuzz struck at that moment, throwing ITS Thunder Punch against the offending Medicham's skull. The fallen fighter landed against the ground, wrapping its legs around Electabuzz's wrist. Before anyone could respond, the Pokemon rolled over, throwing Electabuzz through the air, headfirst into the ground! The earth shuddered and shattered under its weight. Medicham glanced at its handiwork before levitating into the air, arms folded.

"Magneton! Thunder!" The mass of Magneton lunged toward the single Medicham, who grinned ever so slightly as Mr. Mime appeared before him, placing his hands out against an invisible barrier. Before the Magneton could restrain themselves, or hold themselves back for even an instant, the bolts of energy slammed against the walls, swirling around the invisible barrier like a wind tunnel. "Stop firing!" Watson snapped, only to watch, in horror, as the electricity continued pouring out of the poor creatures, swirling around the barrier as the electrical waves were propelled into the ceiling, sparkling around the metallic support beams.

They were stuck.

Elle clenched her fists, fury pulsating through her eyes before stomping on the ground, her Rotom surging around her, sparks flying. "Okay Rotom! Do your thing!" The electrical creature grinned before shooting into the ground, sparks flying in all directions, filling the floor, the seconds slowly passing. At first nothing happened. Then, the sounds of metal screeching filled the air as Surge grinned. Ordinary Rotom could merge with your ordinary house-hold appliances and gather power from them. This one, however, was a tad different than normal electrical beasts. This one merged with anything with metal in it, and, seeing as the entire building was, in fact, metal, it could theoretically merge with the entire building.

As the stands began to screech, the Rocket Grunts shouted in horror as they stood up. When the benches twisted into what could only be described as rows of razor sharp teeth, they panicked. When the very ceiling, now consumed by electricity thanks to Mr. Mime's deflection, they shrieked in pain. When the bottom jaws of stands soared upward toward the deadly teeth above, all was silent. All that is except for the blood that rained down upon the populous of combatants, all that is except for the sounds of Elle's ragged gasps of frustrated air, all that is except for Surge's laughter.

Frollo was silent too.

He was smiling.

#

"What're ya doin' with those grenades!" Butch stammered as Ash tossed the grenade up and down in his hands, aware of its potential. Light grenades, capable of stunning your opposition. It was a dirty trick to use, yes, but maybe they needed it just to beat them quickly. Pikachu hadn't fully recovered from his battle before, and he doubted he had it in him to repel Cassidy and Butch again so easily, as he had with a full team. Could he win? He was certain of that, but he needed to end it quickly.

If what Cassidy said was true, Surge was about to be slaughtered.

"Where is everyone else?" Ash snapped as he noticed his partners giving up the ghost and revealing their hidden grenades.

"Everyone else? Whaddya mean?" Butch asked, anxiously reaching for his belt.

"You idiot! Even if you do try to fight Frollo, you're still gonna die just like everyone else," Cassidy laughed, "It's a shame, really. Every time we've fought each other, I never really got how you could just beat us like you did. Always bothered me. Well, now—"

"Staryu! Rapid spin!" Misty hastily threw her Poke Ball out into the open as, in a flash of scarlet light, the star shaped Pokemon emerged, spinning through the air straight at their enemy. Both of the two henchmen ducked hastily, the star shaped Pokemon colliding headlong into the power device. The volts enveloped it in energy, throwing it right back at Misty, who was thrown against the wall upon impact, electric volts filling her body.

"Misty!" Ash stammered as his companion slowly rose to her feet, her legs trembling. No, she couldn't be shocked. That wasn't fair, it just wasn't! She was a water Pokemon trainer, and there was a massive machine devoted to generating an element she alone was weak against, as though destiny had planned to make things challenging for them. He clenched his fists as he withdrew a Pokeball from his pocket, throwing it out into the air. "Donphan! Take these guys down!"

"Sableye!" Cassidy shouted, summoning her ghoulish Pokemon before them all, a sphere of darkness already generated in its hands, ready for the Donphan as it curled into a wheel, spinning directly toward its opposition, the ground shuddering under its thunderous weight. However, as the ghost launched its sphere of pure unadulterated shade, the Donphan propelled itself into the air, over Sableye, and straight into the machine. In a sudden flash of light, the machine sparked violently as the very circuitry was damaged under the magnitude of impact! Cassidy and Butch leapt back in shock as sparks soared from the damaged machine. Donphan hit the ground right before the metallic surface as it once more tackled the great generator.

"No! You can't destroy that!" Butch snapped, withdrawing a Pokeball, "Go, Hitmon—" Before he could speak, however, Molly had launched herself into his back, knocking him off his feet, throwing him to the ground. His Pokeball helplessly tumbled from his fingers, rolling by the generator, only to burst open. Donphan leapt backward, straight into Sableye's oncoming Shadow Ball, launching the poor creature forward, straight into the machine, denting it once more, before the poor critter remained limp on the ground, beaten.

"Return!" Ash shouted, returning Donphan to its Pokeball as Hitmontop burst through the surface of the machine, sparks ensnaring it in a sudden explosion, launching the already beaten Pokemon against the ground, steam wafting off of the poor creature. Butch stared helplessly at his poor minion as Molly began strangling him with her arm, cutting off his oxygen supply as his skin turned to a similar shade as his hair.

"You can't be serious!" Cassidy snapped, kicking Molly in the ribs. She screamed in pain as she was thrown off of Butch's back. Cassidy neared the little girl, grabbing her by the throat, heaving her high into the air, above Cassidy's very head. Molly's hands lunged towards Cassidy's, fiercely attempting to free herself from her vice-like grasp, only to fail. Misty's eyes widened in rage, as did Ash's own pupils did. They were gonna kill her! Cassidy was going to kill a little girl in the name of some stupid little project!

She had to be beaten now, or else never.

"Go, Psyduck!" Misty shouted, summoning, surprisingly, her golden feathered friend. The poor creature tilted its head, drearily, as its no doubt excruciating headache consumed it with grief and pain. Cassidy glanced at it, a glint in her eyes. Clearly she knew how to deal with this creature this time as opposed to their last encounter.

"Mighteyana! Throw it in the generator!" Butch shouted, summoning his great silver wolf, the beast lunging forward. Psyduck shrieked in terror as it ran behind Misty's leg, only for her eyes to widen. The Mighteyana was bounding straight toward her, its jaws open wide, ready to bite into flesh, about to tear straight through Misty to get to her precious Psyduck! Ash's body reacted on auto drive as he dived in front of his partner, unaware of the consequences, as he summoned a small ball from his pocket, and opened it to reveal his Tauros! The beast ran headlong against the dog, the two colliding harshly, thrashing against one another as the dog bit harshly into the poor Tauros's muzzle. "That isn't gonna beat me a second time!" Butch laughed.

Molly was turning blue.

Misty bent down, and wrapped her fingers around Psyduck's middle. With a slight grin on her lips, an anxious, terrified grin, she whispered, "Sorry. This is gonna hurt you more then it's gonna hurt me!" She launched the duck through the air, the poor beast flying over Mighteyana's head, much to the dog's notice. Like any beast ready to play fetch, it freed Tauros, and pursued the soaring duck, who pathetically flapped its arms in an attempt to fly. Butch's eyes widened in terror as the duck's thick skull collided headlong into his ribcage, throwing him off balance as he stumbled backward, falling against the machine radiating electrical energy. He screamed in pain along with Psyduck as Mighteyana bounded after them, its jaws open wide. The dog leapt forward, claws extended, jaws outstretched. Butch was taking the bulk of lethal electricity as Psyduck rose to its feet, its head sore but not sore enough to use psychic.

It did all it knew how: stumble forward.

The dog landed against Butch's chest with the force of a freight train as it dug its teeth straight into the enemy's throat. Psyduck ran hastily away, albeit weakly, as Ash watched Butch scream in pain, electricity consuming his body, entering into his bloodstream, charging the liquid of life within his veins as he was utterly consumed by deadly energy, his body frying before their eyes, dying before their eyes as his own Pokemon gnawed and ripped open his cooked flesh.

And yet, as her partner fried, Cassidy didn't even glance over. She was too busy strangling the life out of Molly. As Psyduck ran toward his own master, Sableye appeared before it, a ball of darkness swirling in its hands, positioned to collide straight into the weakened Pokemon's abdomen. It cried in horror as Sableye began to make sounds from its form that resembled laughter, albeit a sick and diseased sort of laugh, like a dying tuberculoses patient.

Ash had three flash grenades in his hand, and saw no other time than now to use them.

He drew back his hand, and launched each of the individual bombs through the air, straight at Cassidy. For a moment, the woman glanced over to see one of them slam straight into her face, smashing straight into her eyes, before the trio of bombs exploded into a great nova of light. Through the sunglasses, Ash watched as Molly fell to her feet, gasping for air as she scurried away. Cassidy grabbed at her bleeding eyes as she shrieked out to high heaven. "MY EYES! MY GOD! MY EYES! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Behind her, the Electrodes grew agitated. As Ash watched in horror, the hundreds of Pokemon glowed bright white, and, as Cassidy stumbled toward the machine, exploded in one unified blast. Ash tried to look at the explosion for as long as he could as he ran out of the room, trying to remember the path Shi and Ka brought them down, but all he could see was Cassidy's body being launched into the air, consumed by the overwhelming energy released as Molly scrambled toward the duo, Psyduck resummoned into its Pokeball as Sableye was left to be consumed by energy, ensnared by the blast, thrown aside by the mere shockwaves as his master was reduced to ashes.

Ash was about to glance back, only to see the very threshold behind him tear up and out as the very building collapsed upon the burning remains of the generator, clouds of smoke rising out from the room behind them. Misty turned around to stare in horror as smoldering flames raged under the debris. "Wait, what about the Electrode?" she stammered, eyes wide with horror.

"It's okay, look! We've got to get going!" Ash stammered, grabbing her by the wrist, the adrenaline of combat preventing him from truly enjoying the sensation of his palm sinking into the slight flesh around her wrist, "We need t' get out of here! We need to find the others!"

#

There was a great amount of sparks flying through the air as Surge glared forward, her eyes narrowed with hatred, fury and jubilation filling his body as the jaws of the stage lowered, surrounding Frollo as sparks soared between the quartet of great metal surfaces, each one litered with the remains of the impaled Rockets killed by Elle's Rotom. However, much to the stunning awe of Lt. Surge, Frollo seemed unimpressed, prompting to grin in spite of himself as the stands slowly drew closer, scarlet droplets of life fluid plopping from the tips of the spikes, puddling around at the Rocket Elite's feet.

"Tell me this isn't all you've got," Frollo laughed.

"Oh, you of little faith," Elle mumbled before extending her hand, triumphantly, "Rotom! Squash—"

Elle's words were strangled in her mouth as a spoon jetted out from the center of her chest.

Surge stared at the sight, unable to truly understand what was going on. Behind Elle was Alakazam, its arm outstretched. Emerging from the center of her partner's chest, who stood before the psychic Pokemon, was a long, metal spoon, a utensil covered in blood. Blood ran down Elle's back where the Pokemon had stabbed straight through, punching a hole straight through her chest, through her lungs, through her heart, and out into the air once more. She struggled to speak, only to gag on her own bodily fluids as Alakazam harshly drew his hand out of her body, leaving a massive gaping hole in its wake. She tumbled to her knees, staring up at the sky, before falling to the ground, her fingers twitching slightly.

And even then, Surge didn't understand.

"Elle?" Watson stammered, drawing nearer, pressing a finger to the girl's cheek, pushing into the soft flesh into her gums and teeth. There was no response, other than blood splattering out of the inner most refuges of her throat, over her chests, against Watson's face. The poor warrior stared at Elle as she twitched weakly on the ground, unable to move, unable to do anything other than simply stare at the ceiling, her eyes out of focus and unable to stare anywhere but the sky.

A second passed as Frollo neared the dead body, smirking. Rotom's stands, the jaws of death, were levitated worthlessly in the air as he left it behind him, sparks flying, as if the Pokemon could not believe that its master had just departed this world. Watson glanced up as Frollo neared him, extending a single index finger against his forehead. Watson at first was confused, but soon veins began to bulge on the surface of his skin. He screamed at the top of his lungs as Surge watched, helpless.

His head splattered like a wet watermelon.

There his skull and brains flew, helplessly on the ground. His destroyed body fell to the ground, bleeding unrelenting amounts of blood onto the ground as the seconds passed, leaving nothing but a mess on the stony surface of the Earth. All Surge could do was stare in horror, stare at the carnage before him, stare at the destruction of life before him, stare as the last thing he held dear to him was ravaged and ruined before his eyes, stare the rape of his life crescendo in a great climax of horror.

Frollo chuckled, glancing over at his last victim. "Don't worry. They aren't dead quite yet. I let them live on in my heart, in my soul. They taste delicious, right now. Their screams, their cries for agony. So, whaddya say? Are ya ready to fight me some more, baby?"

That bastard. He had taken the last things that mattered away from Surge! He had taken away his friends after Nathanael took away his gym. Team Rocket had ruined his life, all that he had aspired to be. There was nothing left in this future for him, nothing other than seeing them all die! Surge rose to his feet, only for a new force to hold him down, pressing him against the ground. At first, Surge felt rage toward the man before him, but his expression, even if he was still amused and wicked, betrayed the fact that he had not done anything to keep Surge pinned down.

"Stay down, Lieutenant. The last thing we need is you dying," Sabrina said as she emerged from the shadows of the entrance. Why did she take so damn long? Why hadn't she come sooner? Why the hell hadn't she come before that bastard had killed everyone? Why did she take so damn long, anyway? What was wrong with that stupid bitch! How dare he take their lives? How dare she keep them from being saved? The bastards! Both of them!

Surge rose to his feet, regardless of whatever psychic forces held him down.

So Sabrina held him upside down against the ceiling, keeping him from fighting.

"I'd leave now, Frollo," Sabrina whispered, "There is no victory to have here. If you value your life, I'd leave now."

"Oh really? You and what army?"

"Hey!"

Surge glanced over behind Sabrina as three figures emerged behind the green haired woman. There they were, Ash, Misty, and Brock. There they were, standing there, standing up to the might of the psychic Rocket Elite, the man's icy eyes glaring at the enemy with a look of anxiety. However, Ash and the others did not seem to take Frollo's presence into account next to the existence of the two bodies on the ground, bleeding over the gentle floor, soaking through the gaps between the stones/

"Elle? Watson?" Ash stammered, his voice high.

"Oh my God, he didn't," Misty whispered, hands clamped over his face, eyes wide, skin pale, joints trembling in terror and horror.

"Thank you, Sabrina, for bringing them all to the slaughter," Frollo laughed, extending his hands as his six Pokemon assembled, abandoning the exhausted electric Pokemon, leaving a bloody Raichu on the ground as they drew to Frollo's side, the psychic Pokemon's auras surging around them in a great torrent of azure energy, a typhoon of malice that swirled upward, the very earth trembling.

"For a psychic, you're terrible at reading minds," Sabrina said, "If you think I'd come here by myself, you're terribly mistaken."

Frollo's eyes widened in terror as the sound of several feet stampeded down the hallway. He took several steps back as the first Growlithes emerged on the scene, surrounding the border of the room, hundreds of firearms pointed directly at the offending monster before them, in the center of the room. Indeed, for that was what he was: a demon, a monster, a creature of pure, unadulterated evil, unbridled and depraved. Surge wanted to see every bullet penetrate his skin in that instant, to see his organs spill out over the ground as his shattered bones crumble down onto the floor.

"Heh," Frollo laughed, shaking his head in disbelief as he took a few steps backward, glancing at the numerous guns. Surge was glad to hear a hint of anxiety on his voice. Had he expected to hear the sound of an army of officers pointing their gun toward his heart? "I hope you understand this isn't over. It's never over. Sabrina, you've won this round, but rest assured, I will be able to tear that smile off your lips next time." There was a flash of light, blinding all around them as Frollo's very body disappeared into the space between spaces, through the holes of reality to the depths of whatever dark realm he crawled out of.

It was then that the officers turned their guns toward Surge, and his heart skipped a beat. "Sabrina? What're they doing there?" Surge stammered, his voice cracking.

Rather than Sabrina answering, whose head was lowered, glancing at the ground in shame, to answer his question Officer Jenny emerged, holding out a warrant in her hands, a fierce glint in her eyes. "Lt. Surge, as decreed by the Indigo League, you are hereby under arrest for suspicion of murdering a Pokemon in cold blood and the unwarranted assassination of by now potentially thousands of Rocket grunts. Guards, take him away!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

"Why did ya do it?"

"That is none of your concern at the present time, Surge."

"None of my concern? None of my damn concern! Sabrina, I'm incarcerated, and it's all thanks to you!"

Sabrina stared down at the broken figure of Lt. Surge. He had once been a mighty gym leader, powerful and formidable. Now, however, he was a shadow of his former self, a broken shell of a man with little power, little influence on the world. Everything he had worked for had been crushed thanks to Team Rocket, and the crumbs remaining of all his hopes, dreams, and aspirations had been cremated by Sabrina, the psychic who had handed him directly over to the police.

Was she a good person?

That was completely and utterly irrelevant at a time like this. What mattered was the plan, little more and nothing less. If Surge needed to be in jail for a few days, maybe a few weeks, so that Sabrina could save her own gym, along with the Misty girl, then so be it. Sabrina would go to any length to keep the status quo, to salvage herself and not allow all she had worked for to go to ruin either. Surge glared at her, longing an answer, longing a statement. The psychic could sense that the answer she had to give, that this was all part of a larger plan, would fall short of the explanation the broken gym leader longed to hear, required to hear, NEEDED to hear.

"You'll thank me later," Sabrina replied.

"Just like how I thanked you after you helped me save Watson? Or Elle!" he snapped, his eyes wide and filled with fury, "The murderer is still out there, and you're keeping me in prison?"

"Your visiting time is up, Sabrina," a man behind her said, approaching the long haired vixen, passing by the Pokemon imprisonment center, where Raichu, Rotom, and the legion of Magneton and Electabuzz remained, sealed in an electric proof plastic shell, their powers all but worthless in its protective shell. The Electabuzz could have punched through the plastic, had it not been for the circuitry running throughout the shell that drained the Pokemon of their electricity, forcing it out of their system as they resisted against their sealed up "homes." Sabrina wondered if they were going to execute the Pokemon along with Surge, but somehow she doubted it. The League weren't malicious.

Nathanael Butler was.

"Just promise me this, Sabrina," Surge mumbled, head lowered, hair falling over his broken face, "Find Frollo, and kick his fucking ass for me. Can ya do that?"

Sabrina turned toward Surge for a moment, regarded him briefly, before turning away. A small grin curled up her lips. Of course she was going to kill that Team Rocket threat. Just who the hell did he think she was, anyhow?

#

"Why'd she do it?" Misty mumbled, lowering her head as she glanced at the black haired boy for answers, as though somehow he had read the mind of the psychic girl, the one they took orders from, the one they called their superior, the one who had sent Surge to prison. To her astonishment, Ash looked as though he were about to answer her query, only, as expected, to shrug, unable to answer the question, as entirely expected. Misty should've known he would turn out a blank, empty response yet again.

"Seriously, I'm not sure. She probably has a good reason, I just don't see it," Ash replied, "Maybe it's for his own protection."

"Maybe," Misty replied, "But do you really think Surge is any safer here than in our company?"

As the trio of trainers, Ash, Misty, and Molly, sat on the sofas in the Indigo Plateau Pokemon Center, officers surrounding them, observing them, ensuring they did not leave their spot, the trio had little truly to talk about. After all, the shock of the events that had transpired at the Team Rocket base had occurred perhaps a mere three hours ago, and the shock had yet to truly settle down. They could not even bring themselves to mention finding the dead bodies of countless Rocket thugs, nor could they begin to discuss the bodies of Elle and Watson. Surge's eyes as he stared at their dead bodies was impossible to describe in words. There was a sense of loss, no, a sense of devastation, that was just too profound for mere vowels and consonants. It looked almost as though every sense of value had been ravaged, every sense that things would improve disemboweled. Any sense of hope had been dashed from his heart.

All thanks to a man named Frollo.

But even the sins of a psychic Team Rocket member were wiped from their minds as they considered their own scenario. The image of Butch's vocal cords being ripped from his throat still burned in their eyes, but as bad as that image is, it could not compare to what Misty could imagine happened to Cassidy. She thought she had seen her body turn to ash, but she wasn't sure. Maybe it had been ripped apart. Maybe it hadn't been torn at all, but rather burned alive. Maybe she was still intact in one piece in a lifeless coma on the floor. It were the maybes that got to her, the possibility of something far too grizzly for words. It was a thought that made Misty want to hurl over the ground in disgust, and at the same time cry. Even if they hadn't killed them personally, their blood was still on their hands.

They were just as bad as them.

Misty tucked her knees up to her chest as she contemplated this. She had committed a mortal sin, a damned thing that left her filled with self-hatred and grief. She wondered how a murderer could possibly live with themselves. If Misty had inadvertently caused two people to die, along with Ash and Molly, out of simple self-defense, she couldn't imagine just what sort of guilt racked the mind of someone who killed constantly for the sake of killing. Perhaps they had no guilt, but Misty couldn't imagine a single person not regretting such a horrible, unholy act as manslaughter.

She felt sick with herself.

"It's okay, Misty," Ash said, placing a hand gently on her soft shoulder. She glanced over, her lips tight as her knight in red, black, and blue turned toward her, a grin on his lips. "I'm sure Sabrina has everything handled. I wouldn't worry about Surge. I'm sure he'll be out before the day is—"

"Somehow, I feel you children are being far too naïve."

Misty and the others glanced up at the sound of that deep, fearsome, yet oddly familiar voice. There, standing before them was a man whose long scarlet cape trailed behind him, the wind picking it up and dropping it, like a lion's mane. His fearsome scarlet locks pierced the air, slicing it into ribbons as he progressed forward, approaching the young trio, his eyes staring down at their forms. He was a tall, fearsome figure, and yet both Ash and Misty, even after all these years, recognized him.

Molly, evidently, did not. "Uh, excuse me, but who exactly are you?"

"Molly, this is Lance, the Dragon Tamer! He's the head of the Elite Four around here," Ash stammered, "You're looking at the greatest Pokemon Trainer in both Kanto and Johto."

"The greatest!" Molly stammered, staring wide eyed at this imposing figure, his muscles pulling his dark attire tightly over his chest.

"I wouldn't want to be given such a grandiose title, but yes, I am the strongest at the current moment," Lance replied, smirking, "It would appear that you three were associated with Surge for awhile, is that true?"

"A very brief while," Misty replied, nervously. If she were to tell him everything just now, she wouldn't be surprised if Lance simply threw them into prison along with the current inmate.

Lance grinned, almost understandingly, before glancing at the guards. "Men, come with me. I'm going to take these three to be my guests in my personal chambers. One of you stay behind in case Sabrina returns. Inform her that Lance has taken the trainers to his office for debriefing." Misty felt her heart skip a beat in terror as she followed the Dragon Tamer, Ash and Molly at her sides. The room and its sounds seemed to melt into the background as she followed the dark form as he progressed down the hallways, his cape flapping behind him like a pair of diseased batwings, the enigmatic nature of that cape consuming Misty's mind, wrapping her in its dark fabric and nature.

She was doomed. Lance was going to interrogate them. She couldn't handle interrogation. She was terrible at standing up for herself. How did she expect to endure the no doubt intense set of queries and demands he had to shove into their faces? She was doomed! She looked toward Ash for comfort, but all she saw was just his frowning face, his expression tense, a hint of fear in his eyes, but, for the most part, a look of great focus in his eyes. He wasn't about to back down, nor was he about to surrender.

After several minutes of walking up stairs, down hallways, and into dark corridors, they reached a massive door with Lance's name on it. The Dragon Tamer turned toward his men, a smile on his lips. "That'll be all, gentlemen. I want you to stand outside my door to keep any wandering ears out of our business, if you won't mind. Thank you." Lance took the trio inside his spacious office, his high vaulted ceiling creating an echo for every step they took. It almost looked like a temple, the cold, stoic walls surrounding them filled with statues of previous Elite Four members and champions, staring down at the fearful trio with an almost demonic glance. Misty felt as though the eyes of every statue were on her, her skin sweating under the pressure of trying to appease their greatness.

She wasn't worthy to set foot in this room.

She didn't deserve to suffer Lance's wrath.

She just wanted to be alone right about now.

With Ash.

"You guys look terrified," Lance said, a grin on his lips. He gestured toward a bin filled with biscuits and cookies on his desk. "Help yourself."

Misty was about to reach out for one, nervously, when Ash grabbed it off the surface, shoving them into his mouth with a grin on his lips. The idiot! What if Lance had poisoned them or something? Not like he would, clearly, but what if he did? That would be just stupid! Ash would've walked headlong into a trap. However, seeing as how Ash didn't drop dead after eating them, both Misty and Molly helped themselves to a cookie or fifteen, Molly's eyes wide with terror, still in shock.

Poor girl.

"Now, I want your honest opinion on this matter," Lance said, turning to face the trainers, his gaze icy yet warm at the same time, "And rest assured, I know you aren't going to lie to me. Did Surge destroy his own gym?"

Ash jumped up at this, almost spilling the can of cookies had Misty not nabbed them just in time, taking some for herself in the process. She had to admit, seeing that beautiful boy stand up so abruptly like that, so passionately, sent a rush through her body, a chill that left her smiling to herself for minutes afterwards. He truly was a hero. "He didn't! It was all that jerk Nathanael who did it."

"Nathanael? You mean Nathanael Butler, right?" Lance asked, curiously.

"That's right," Misty replied, her head lowered, "That man's evil. He's pure, unadulterated evil."

"Now, tell me, was there a struggle of some sort which Surge started?" Lance asked, curiously.

"No, not at all—well, maybe—but even so, it was all Nathanael's fault," Ash stammered.

"What about the Rhyperior?" Lance asked, a small grin crawling across his lips, "Surely Surge was responsible for that."

Why was Lance grinning like that? Regardless, Misty rose her head, glaring at Lance with a look that would terrify the darkest of fiends. "It was all Butler. He left his own Pokemon out to drown to support his claim."

"He seemed awfully shaken up by the loss of his Pokemon in court. Do you care to explain why he'd be s visibly hurt by the incident?" Lance asked, questioningly.

"He's just lying. He didn't care at all. He just left his Rhyperior out to die. The bastard," Ash snapped.

"Well, I suppose I believe you. Just out of curiosity, how did you learn all of this?"

"Sabrina told us," Misty replied, honestly.

"So how do you know that Sabrina wasn't lying to you?" Lance asked.

"I trust Sabrina," Ash replied, "We helped her years ago. If it wasn't for us, she'd still be all alone, sad and broken. She wouldn't betray us like that. I just can sense it, ya know?"

Lance regarded the three for quite some time, silently. The vacuum of sound built up around Misty. Her entire body was trembling in anxiety as the Dragon Tamer regarded her, slowly. However, with a slight chuckle, the trainer grinned, revealing they had little to fear. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't be obliged to truly believe you, had Agatha not been forcing you to tell the truth."

"What?" Misty stammered as a figure emerged from thin air, a Gastly circling around her feet. There stood Agatha, the ancient, old Elite Four member, her head lowered, her lips curled into a rather amused grin as she approached the others, chuckling to herself. That old woman had been here the whole time? How in God's name did she remain here invisible without any of them noticing even for a little bit? And, additionally, how did Lance know they weren't lying? Had Agatha hypnotized them upon entering the room with that Gastly? Surely she had a way, and it didn't look like either Lance or Agatha were willing to explain the methods to their magic.

"Woah!" Ash stammered, "How'd ya—well, that's unimportant. How're ya gonna prove what we said, anyway?"

Lance gestured to a group of cameras in the corner of the room, a grin on his lips. "These cameras are sensitive to invisible waves of energy some Pokemon generate. It's important to have a record of all conversations a member of the Elite Four has, and even more important to see if a Pokemon is affecting their response. The camera will show you were forced to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It's undeniable evidence that's backed up by a previous account."

"Whaddya mean a previous—?" Ash began, only for a figure to emerge behind Lance in a flash of light. There stood Sabrina, her long tresses of hair dancing in the air behind her as she approached Lance's side. Though her expression was flat, almost emotionless, Misty could sense triumph dancing behind her lifeless eyes. In spite of herself, the water trainer grinned broadly.

"At the present moment, Nathanael Butler is in his room, frantic over the capture of Surge. It is our belief he will try to kill him before he can testify his case tomorrow morning. That is, of course, when we prove to the court that the only evidence against Surge is Butler's own word, and that there is physical, undeniable evidence weighted against him. Thus, Surge will be let free, and Nathanael will be incarcerated."

"Lance also agreed to abolishing the policy against our gyms as well," Sabrina replied, a hint of joy in her words, though it was only a submerged hint and nothing more, "He also offered to rebuild Surge's gym to boot."

"But why did Nathanael do it?" Misty asked.

"Probably his paycheck," Lance replied, "By destroying your gyms, we'd no longer need to send money to fund your business, meaning that the majority of the money that was no longer needed would go straight to him. I suspected him for awhile, but lacked hard evidence. Sabrina, though, sensed my distrust, and felt I'd be an ideal person to recruit into her little plan. Even so, she still didn't tell me why Nathanael would require such money in the first place."

Sabrina grinned, "You see, that's why I have this." Sabrina extended her hand into the air, and, in a flash of light, a hard drive emerged in her hands. She placed it on Lance's table, gently. "This was taken from Team Rocket's base in Celadon. If you check the digital data, you'll find that it shows plans Team Rocket has, with funding for said plans coming directly from Nathanael Butler's own private bank account. He was cocky enough to use his account that received direct money from his League paycheck, and all payments were made out to a children's charity, making him out to look like such a nice guy. You can back-check this on his bank account, and find the data matches up perfectly, right down to the last penny devoted to this morally bankrupt cause."

"But what cause is this?" Lance asked, curiously.

Sabrina was silent for a moment before saying, simply, "Pokemon biochemical warfare."

#

"Could ya please speak less complicated like?" Meowth asked Claude as he stared at the great series of tubes before them, "I mean, I know warfare and Pokemon, but the whole biochemical thing is a bit much to digest, ya know what I mean?"

"How could you not understand such a simple idea?" Jessie snapped.

"I bet yous two don't get it either."

"Well—er—" Jessie mumbled, scratching her jaw agitatedly under the dark, green lights of the laboratory as James shook his head, clearly unwilling to find himself involved in another squabble of some sort.

"It's a legitimate question," Claude replied, his broad arms behind his back as he neared them, his chest spread out so the gigantic scarlet emblem on his chest extended farther, more pronounced than before, "Biochemical warfare is a simple concept. It's the use of chemicals to affect biological components. That's the broadest use of the term. We could develop viruses to literally overwhelm a Pokemon's physical abilities, or perhaps even create chemicals to enhance Pokemon abilities. Our benefactor has been testing special berries developed here on his own Pokemon, to highly successful results."

"You could also use it to create Pokemon from scratch." The trio and Claude turned around at that point to witness the arrival of two figures, Shi and Ka, the two of them standing side by side. Why did that scarlet haired devil have to come over again? Jessie glared at her, eyes narrowed, as Ka returned the same expression, only with a slight grin crawling up her heart shaped face. "So, sounds cool, right? Shame you three could never understand even the most basic components of it. Though, that being said, for a genius such as myself, this sort of thing is so easy to understand. It's really sad how pathetically simple it is."

"A—uh—Ka, this isn't the time or place for this right now," Shi replied, frowning slightly.

"Ah, can't you be quite for a few measly—"

At that second a figure emerged from thin air. There, standing before them, his jacket wavering in the air, was Frollo, his gaze cold, his eyes venomous and foul. "I'm afraid we have some terrible news."

Jessie stared at him, curiously. "Bad news?" Jessie repeated, confused. She would've stared into his hateful eyes, but chills ran up her spine, not the chills she felt when James had accidentally touched her butt earlier, no, but darker chills, fear, genuine terror into staring into those soulless, remorseless pupils. For years, Jessie wondered what it would be like to see the Devil's face. Now she knew.

"It would appear that Lt. Surge has been captured by the Indigo League," he replied, his head lowered, dark sheets of hair falling over his face, "And, thus, come tomorrow, our benefactor Nathanael Butler will lose his place in the League, and accordingly fall."

Claude regarded him for a moment, his eyes wide with terror as he turned around, running his thick, muscular fingers through his hair. He was silent for a moment before he slammed his fist against a table, shattering it into splinters as he turned around, eyes wide with restrained fury. "It doesn't matter anymore. It surely doesn't. We have enough money and development. Now all we need is to mass produce our drugs and cloned Pokemon. Nathanael can lose his position for all I care. He's no longer useful to our plans."

"Sir, need I remind you of the Ultimate Weapon?" Frollo asked, lips curled.

Claude froze in place. Ultimate Weapon? Just what was that? Jessie glanced at Shi and Ka, but evidently they had no clue what the two were talking about either. Claude, however, seemed to completely understand the idea, freezing in spot as he turned around, his eyes wide with horror and shock. "You're right. He still has a purpose to our plan. Frollo, I want you to take these five with you, alright? No doubt Surge will be having a trial in the near future, right?"

"It's tomorrow morning at eight in the morning," Frollo replied.

"Alright, take them all out then. You only have twelve hours left before show time, so make sure everything goes according to plan."

"Yes, Claude."

#

"Listen, Frollo, this was NOT part of the arrangement!"

Frollo glanced up at the frantic monitor before him, a grin on his own lips. Oh, those fearful rich men. Once the floor tumbles out below them, everything about them seemed to decay. Nathanael Butler's confident swagger was now a sweaty, terrified squeal of terror. Even staring at Frollo, a powerful psychic, and five Team Rocket members if you counted that stupid cat, he wasn't confident in the abilities Team Rocket had to defend them.

Nor, honestly, should he.

They were worthless.

Or didn't care.

"I assure you, Nathanael Butler, that we have every intent on obeying your orders to the letter," Frollo replied, "Come morning tomorrow, we'll slaughter Surge. I promise you. I read the mind of Sabrina from a distance. Her mind, after all, is so strong and easy to read. Other thoughts are like white noise to me, but hers? Oh, it's so strong, so potent. Her psychic powers make her stand out from the crowd. She's a fool, though. Such terrible defenses."

"I see, well, as long as you're prepared. It's eight tomorrow, right?" Nathanael stammered, patting his forehead with a moist cloth.

"Yes, I do believe it is," Frollo replied, "And at seven thirty tomorrow morning, we'll kill Surge in his cell, slaughtering him and stopping any sort of possibility of him spoiling your reputation."

"I certainly hope so," Nathanael stammered.

"Listen, sir, I know I don't know you all too well, but let me assure you, it will be done!" Ka stammered, taking a few steps forward, her smile bright as her cheeks filled with scarlet, "I assure you, I'll take care of him for ya! I promise you! You'll keep your job!"

"Ka, be quite!" Shi stammered.

"Ah, shut up! Can't ya see I'm tryin' to speak here?"

"Leave the matter in my more than capable hands, sir," Frollo replied, partially bowing, a grin on his lips, "I'm sure I could be of assistance to you further. Just make sure you pay us enough for the Ultimate Weapon project."

"Of course."

The connection ended some time later, at which Frollo left the chamber, a grin on his lips. How foolish they all were to trust him with such an important mission. Frollo had bigger objectives than simple viruses and bugs! A strong trainer needn't worry about submitting to a pathetic little drug, just as a good trainer didn't need those enhancements. Frollo was mightier than most members of the Pokemon League for a reason, and tomorrow he would make history. He grinned as he visualized his plan. Whether or not Nathanael Butler's reputation survived tomorrow morning was of no consequence to him.

Who'd care about Butler if the Elite Four died?

#

"I hear Butch and Cassidy died, Jessie," James stated softly, glancing at Jessie.

"Where'd ya hear that?" Jessie asked just as softly, surprised to find a pang of shock in her chest. Died? How could those two die? They were her rivals, the people they had to shove out of the spotlight every so often. How did they die? They had known them for years, mostly due to the duo of duos loathing the ever hateful crap out of one another, but even so, the fact that they were dead left her feeling surprisingly empty.

Who was she going to hate now?

Surely James was mistaken.

"Oh, those two were talking about it," James replied, gesturing behind him to reveal shadows. As Jessie and Meowth lowered their voices, the sound of voices grew stronger. Once again, they drew nearer to the source of the sound, only to hear the voices coming into their ears clearly once more.

"—blown up? So that's how they went out? Blown to kingdom come by the generator?" Ka laughed, a smirk on their lips, "They deserved it, I guess." At first, Jessie wanted to strangle that murdering little bitch, only when two thoughts crossed her minds. The first was that it sounded as though Ka was just learning about the death, meaning she didn't cause it. Even if she had a hand in it, which Jessie wasn't sure about, she didn't directly cause it, seeing as how she was learning about the death herself. Maybe Shi had killed them. The second thing that crossed her mind was, despite the laugh and smile, neither Shi or Ka were truly happy. There was a sort of hollowness in the laugh, a cold, shocked tone, that felt less akin to laughter and more akin to the sound a person makes after being told Santa Claus is fake: a sort of empty, desolate sob in the back of your throat.

"Yeah. Those three we brought over did it. They threw the grenades we gave 'em, and upset the Electrodes and Voltorbs. That's what it looks like, anyway. They walked right into the explosion. It was quite a mess from what the security cameras could gather." Shi glanced aside, his eyes on the ground, guilt filling his face. "We're responsible, though. I know we are."

"Whaddya mean we're—" Ka began, eyes wide, only for her form to relax, head slumping down as a melancholy grin curled up her lips. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I mean, they really weren't even our allies, were they? They were the enemy."

"That they were, but do they really deserve to die?" Shi asked, curiously, "Do any of them deserve to die?"

"I don't think so, except maybe Frollo," laughed Ka.

"Without Frollo, we wouldn't be here," Shi replied.

"Whaddya mean?" Ka asked, curiously, "Did he pull strings for us to join or something?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I mean here right now. Yeah, that's right," Shi laughed, clearly lying.

"Heh, you have a terrible poker face. You look so stupid like that, ya know?" Ka began to laugh, a real, genuine laugh, filled with life, only for Shi to start smirking as well. He drew nearer, much to the scarlet haired girl's shock. He extended his arms, and, to Jessie and the others' surprise, pulled the girl into a tight embrace. Ka's eyes widened in shock too. "Hey, whaddya doin'!"

"I'm doing this all for you, Ka," Shi replied, his face tightened, "Don't forget it, okay?"

"Whaddya—?" Ka was, for a few minutes, rigid as a board, staring in horror at Shi's actions, only to slowly relax, frowning slightly. With her pinned arms, she wrapped her forearms around Shi's waist, smiling in spite of herself as scarlet blush filled her heart shaped cheeks. "You idiot."

"Listen, Ka, do you like Frollo?"

"Honestly? He scares the crap out of me."

"Tell me: do you feel occasionally threatened by him?"

Ka was silent for a second, before slowly nodding, a tear in her eyes.

"Don't worry about him, Ka. I'll make sure he never, ever bothers you again.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Very slowly, Jessie, James, and Meowth inched away, staring at the couple in their deep embrace, Jessie's eyes widened in terror. "Those two are completely off their rockers," Meowth whispered, "I mean, I didn't realize it before, but those two really are—"

"They're not crazy," James mumbled, "Just broken."

"Whaddya mean! Didn't ya read between the lines?" Meowth harshly whispered once out of earshot.

"Read between what lines?" Jessie asked, curiously, "That he isn't gonna let Frollo bother her anymore? I give the guy credit. He's not as spineless as I thought."

"No, no, no! That's not it at all! The kid's—she—with the—oh geez! You guys are idiots! Shi's gonna try killing Frollo himself! The guy's gonna get himself killed!"

"When did he say that?" James stammerd.

"Read between the lines," Meowth mumbled.

"You're reading way too into that," Jessie replied.

"Fifty bucks I'm right."

"I don't have that much money to spare. Make it thirty!"

"Deal!"

#

The bastard was going to fall. Nathanael was going to back out before he could pay all the money he owed. Claude threw the empty beaker against the wall, eyes wide with fury. After all this time, after all this work to find himself on this damn project, it was all going to fall apart right before the final week he needed. He needed a few million more, just a little compared to the billions he had received already on funding. It wasn't too hard, was it?

The Ultimate Weapon stood before him in the great beaker preserved for it, it's almighty form startlingly chilling before Claude's eyes. However, that creature held little promise for Claude. The weapon would be Giovanni's new toy, rendering him almighty, yes, but in honesty, Claude felt little attachment to that plaything. He had more important things to develop. In the deepest lab in the facility, he glanced at the closed wall to the left of the numerous keypads and levers, beside the sparkling, dark screens under black light. He tapped a certain sheet of chrome at a certain intensity before the wall literally rose up before him, revealing his deepest treasure.

He ran a hand across the moist surface of the tube. His creation was near completion. All it needed was a will, that's all: for personality and thought to settle in. The nude form before him had physically developed perfectly, perhaps even better, than he could have ever visualized, could have ever imagined in the years this creation was stuck in his consciousness. He bent onto his knees, staring up at the deity before him.

"Soon, my love. Soon…"


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12**

The guards escorted Surge down the long narrow hallway, lights filtering down from above like glimpses into the Heavenly Spheres above. He walked down, damning all those he passed, his eyes filled with hatred and resentment toward those damned souls that happened to condemn him to this fate, condemn him to utter destruction. He damned those who had destroyed his gym, damned those who had killed his only companions, and damned Sabrina for bringing him to jail.

What was wrong with that bitch, anyway? Surge had trusted her, respected her, believed she was capable of helping him, and yet, in the end, she had backstabbed him. He didn't understand why. Why had she betrayed him like this, anyway? What had he done to warrant it? Sabrina KNEW he was innocent, so why would she send them to jail with the knowledge of Surge's innocence? It just didn't make sense. Perhaps it was all part of a higher plan, where Surge's execution would bring her one step closer to killing that bastard Frollo and destroying Nathanael Butler's career.

He had no problem dying.

He just hated unfinished work.

The doors leading into the judgment chamber opened up before him. He stared out at the audience, amongst them his remaining comrades, those damn kids. Out in the stands was Sabrina, who stared at him. Was there a look of concern on her face? Why would she have such an emotion if SHE was the one who had condemned him, anyway? Surge wanted to punch her across the face right then and there, but doubted that'd solve a thing. If anything, it would cause him a bigger headache.

He took a seat before the officials of the League, all faceless deities residing under the Elite Four, who stood high above them in thrones above the rest, mere silhouettes against the backlights of what could very well have been Heaven. He glared up at them, his eyes filled with hatred. Alright then, there was nothing left. It was time to confront his destiny.

#

James glanced back and forth around the jet as it soared through the air, bursting through Mach 1 as it hurtled through the air, a bullet through the air. Jessie stared out the window as reality warped around them, their vehicle traveling super fast into the distance. Shi and Ka sat beside each other, their gaze forward tense to say the least. Particularly Shi, who seemed rather antsy in his seat.

Shi moved his arm, only for James to notice an odd bulge under his shirt. It didn't resemble human flesh at all, nor did it look very organic. If anything, it was rigid and hard. However, before James could query about it, he brushed it aside, pressing the metallic object against his skin, hiding it from view once again. Just what was that thing, anyway? What was he hiding?

Frollo no doubt knew. He was pacing back and forth on the plane, having no problem moving around in the tense speed the plane traveled on. James had to admit the force pushing him against the seat was strong, but for whatever reason he had no trouble sitting forward, and neither it seemed did the others. However, to say he'd be able to paced back and forth without difficulty seemed a tad ridiculous.

The silence here was staggering. Even Ka, as talkative as she usually was, had barely uttered a word. It was almost as though they were going off to war. James sighed, tensely. He didn't even know why Team Rocket required biochemical weaponry. Last he heard, they were an organization focused on stealing Pokemon, not conquering nations. It just didn't make any sense to him at all.

Ah well.

#

"So, we all know the charges put against you, Lt. Surge," Lance stated, after the official declaration of the trial had already begun, staring down at the defendant, a stare that sent Ash's heart leaping through his chest. Did Surge have any idea that Lance was about to absolve all the charges put against him? Probably not. The surprise of hearing he was free would no doubt cheer him up somewhat. "Now, Surge, I want to hear the incident from your own lips, your own—"

"Hey, Ash?" Ash turned toward Misty as her hushed voice echoed through his ears. He glanced at the orange haired girl to his left as she nodded up. Sabrina had informed them of the plan that day, and no doubt Misty knew that it was time for them to set up the second phase of their revenge that day. Misty's skin was covered in sweat, her eyes wide and filled with anxiety. Ash knew that what was to come would take a lot out of her. Could she handle this sort of stress? This sort of pain? Ash placed his hand over hers, squeezing it comfortingly. Misty's cheeks filled with blush as she rose to her feet, glancing off, head lowered, as the two of them snuck out of the stands. Lance's words were too powerful and strong at that moment for anyone to notice two kids walking out of a courtroom.

#

The jet slowed down to a crawl through the air as they neared the Indigo Plateau. The stadium was visible from the stars, a landmark of triumph, a testament to any trainer's skill and ability. It's high stands and beautiful landscape were enough to even send chills up James's spine. As it arched through the air, levitating over the building where, to their knowledge, the court room was located, Frollo's eyes widened in terror. James watched him scream at the top of his lungs as he slammed his fist against the nearest surface, sweat beading up along his forehead.

"No! It can't be possible!" Frollo snarled, furiously, "That bitch! That damn bitch!"

"What's wrong?" Shi asked, unable to conceal a hint of glee at the sound of his superior's fury and terror.

"That bitch Sabrina! She tricked me! She KNEW I could read her mind from that distance, so she sent the wrong message out to me! How couldn't I see it! HOW COULDN'T I SEE IT!" The entire ship began to tremble as Frollo opened the door to the plane, and, to everyone's horror, leapt out of the vehicle, hurtling down toward the air, wind tugging at his jacket and hair as he fell down like a comet. James thought for sure he was going to hurtle into the building, but, before he could, his body disappeared in a flash of light.

#

"So, ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Lance concluded, "as you can tell from this undeniable evidence, it's clear that Lt. Surge is—"

Sabrina watched as a flash of light interrupted the Elite Four leader's speech. There, slamming against the ground, was a figure in all black, his jacket still waving in the air like a pair of demonic bat wings. Slowly, Frollo rose to his feet, his eyes livid, his entire body overflowing with hatred that flowed off of his body, an aura of dark psychic energy swirling around him like a hurricane. The magnitude of the aura blew every loose paper off their surface, knocked several bystanders off against the wall, and even shattered the wood nearest him. Surge, however, stood tall, glaring hatefully at his nemesis, while Sabrina glared hatefully at her old rival.

"SABRINAAAAA~~~AAAAAA!" Frollo shouted, pointing furiously at Sabrina, finally losing his cool façade he had always maintained, "YOU TRICKED ME! YOU DECEPTIVE BITCH!"

The long haired woman betrayed a smile, but not an amused one nor a happy one. No, rather a simple grin of sadistic pleasure. How confident that man had been when he was in control, when he had dominated Surge and his men, when he was abusing people around him. Yet now here he stood, out of control, no longer the one in power, and now he was revealing his true colors: he was just as foul, if not fouler, than the meanest devil in Hell. No longer in control of the battlefield, he was no longer in control of his heart, and that fury was his greatest weakness.

He lacked focus.

"No, Frollo, you simply lack creativity and understanding of your powers," Sabrina replied, "I've been training for years out of respect. You, however, gained your great skill by murder and assimilation. You don't deserve the great strength you possess, nor do I think you really understand it. This is the second time I've tricked you, right? The first time being with all those policemen. How could you not detect so many life forms walking behind me, I wonder? Maybe I drowned out their psychic wavelengths with my own. Just like yesterday. I'm sorry, Frollo, but you arrived too late."

#

Misty watched from a distance, sweat billowing from her pores, as Nathanael Butler emerged from his office, running a shaky hand up his face. He still had that lantern jawed look about him, but to say he was shaken up was putting his condition mildly. He looked pale, sickly even, as his sloppily arranged jacket hung off of him, his tie undone, his eyes dark and weak. He glanced over at Misty, staring at her for a moment before his lips curled into an amused little grin. He approached her, walking over like a spirit from Hell. Oh, how Misty wanted to just kill him, just throw him out a window into oblivion.

But she couldn't.

They had a plan.

A good one.

"So, I take it you're off to see the trial?" Nathanael laughed, "I apologize that you weren't able to necessarily secure the safety of your gym as of now, but, alas, you can always take it up with the higher ups." Nathanael leaned in closer, whispering into Misty's ear, his breath, while fresh and fragrant, nauseating the gym leader. "If you want, my offer is still on the table. If I were you, I'd tell Surge to call it off if he values his life."

Misty glanced over to a corner where she knew Ash stood behind, perfectly hidden. She felt her skin crawl as she glanced back at Nathanael, forcing a grin as the disgusting handsome man drew away, smiling that confident smile, one that she hoped stabbed him right in the heart, right in his most sensitive of regions. "But, Mr. Butler, the trial's already over. It started at 7:30, and I hear they already cleared Surge on all charges."

Butler's reaction was instantaneous. His eyes widened his horror, his skin growing pale, his entire body shaking as he took a step back, laughing nervously to himself. He tried to reform his façade, though it was a shaky recovery if Misty had ever seen one. "Ah, well, that's a rather funny joke. However, I received a message informing me it was at eight. So, as much as I love practical jokes and I do, I better go over to the—"

"You mean you missed the memo?" Misty asked, withdrawing a sheet directed toward Nathanael Butler, the official document Misty and Ash had removed, with Lance's permission, from Nathanael Butler's mail box. Nathanael stared at the sheet, his eyes widening with each word he read, his hands trembling as he stared at the sheet. Finally, he tore the paper to shreds, crumbling each fragment in his hands as he turned on Misty, his eyes wide as the girl smiled, smugly. "I suspect they're probably on their way right now to arrest you."

"No. No. No. No. No. No! No! No! NO!" Nathanael stammered, each cry more and more frantic than the last. "You bitch! You're lying! This is all just a little trick from you, I'm sure! And besides that, you snot nosed little brat, how DARE you screw with me? Do you know who the hell I am? Don't you realize anything! Besides, it doesn't matter. Frollo will come and just alter their minds FOR them. He's psychic. He can do anything. He can do anything he wants. Yes, yes he can. Heehee. Anything in the WHOLE world. Heehee."

#

"You can't change Surge's sentencing," Sabrina said, calmly, "As long as I stand here, I won't let you alter their minds for them, nor will I let you kill anyone."

"Let me?" Frollo laughed, "You made a critical underestimation of my potential if you think you can keep me from doing anything I please!" Frollo extended his hand, at which the mass of people in the chamber were thrown into the air. Sabrina watched from below, helplessly, as every person in the stands were pushed against the walls, held up against the surface as though chained. She could see Molly, her eyes frantic and terrified, as she too was shoved against an oak surface. Frollo's body heaved with laughter as he lowered his head, his hair falling over his face. "You know, you still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"I kept some secrets from you, too. Secrets that no one could ever know. If you thought for a second that I'd be content with just following Nathanael Butler's orders, you're DEAD wrong!" Frollo threw his hand out toward the Elite Four, at which they were pulled off of their thrones, heaved high into the air. Each one grabbed for their throats, as though they were being strangled alive. Sabrina's eyes widened in terror as she stepped forward, withdrawing two Pokeballs from her side.

At that moment, there were six flashes from Frollo's belt as his army of Pokemon emerged, glaring at Sabrina. Surge's Raichu was below in the basement, out of his reach, so he was but a helpless bystander now, pressed against the wall like the others. Sabrina was helpless as she summoned Kadabra and Haunter, the two glaring at the opposing team. "I will not let any harm come to them."

"Oh, really?" Frollo laughed. With a snap of his finger, a security guard against the wall's body was knotted painfully. Sabrina watched as his arm literally snapped, the bone literally piercing through skin and cloth. Her eyes widened as the maimed arm was knotted forward, the barrel of a pistol pointed directly at Sabrina.

He fired.

#

"I swear, what is that lunatic thinking?" James stammered as he darted down the empty hallways and corridors of the Indigo League's building of operations. That guy had just jumped out of a plane, without any sort of gear or equipment, just right out hopped down to his inevitable doom. Was he insane? Was he on drugs? Just what was wrong with that man, anyway? Well, James didn't like to think about it, nor did he truly have any reason TO think about it.

"Just find something to do," Jessie mumbled as Meowth darted at their feet, "I don't like the looks of this place at all."

"Eh, it ain't too bad I guess," Meowth mumbled, "I just don't wanna be anywhere near Frollo is all."

"That man gives me the creeps, yeah," James mumbled, passing by a slightly open door. They stopped, glancing in the dark chamber as they slowly entered, curiously. It was all but empty, a couple of dead guards lying on the ground. Had Frollo killed them with his psychic powers? No doubt. Their necks were broken, yet there weren't any marks or handprints on their throats, as though nonexistent hands had snapped it. Indeed, there wasn't a single impact location anywhere, so clearly it wasn't a blow to the head, not to mention they were seated in their chairs as normal without looking any different, other than the odd position of their necks and the fact that they clearly could no longer breathe.

Before the men were hundreds of video monitors. For the most part, the majority of them revealed high perspective shots of empty league centers. Occasionally they'd find a person walk by a single screen and emerge on another, but for the most part the shots lacked any people in them, except for a few that caught their attention. There, in the center of a court room, people were pushed against the walls by invisible energy. Lying on the ground was a woman with long dark hair who slowly pushed herself up, her shoulder bleeding profusely. A gunshot filled the air yet again, and the girl rolled out of the way, the bullet tearing apart the wooden stands behind her. The gun exploded, wrenched apart into shards of broken metal. It was then that every gun in the room suddenly crumbled to pieces, falling from the walls from the holsters of each guard.

In another monitor, however, the trio saw Ash hiding behind a corner as Misty stood before the benefactor they were supposed to be protecting, Nathanael Butler. Apparently, the guy was frantic about something. There was a volume button on the side of the monitor, which James activated. "—you bitch! You just don't get it! Once Team Rocket stops Surge from speaking and the others forget, I'll be free! Free to do whatever I want! And you won't be able to do a DAMN thing!"

"This guy sounds pretty desperate," Jessie mumbled.

"Hey, Jessie, James, do ya have anythin' t' record what he's gonna say?" Meowth asked.

"Well, no, but there's a record video and audio button here with a few USB drives," James replied, withdrawing one of the mechanics.

"Then hook it up! I think we may get some valuable info here!" Meowth laughed, giddily.

"Why's that?" James asked as he hooked up the connection.

"He's frantic. Maybe he'll rat Team Rocket out, and then we can report it t' the boss and give him warning! He'll learn we're the only ones responsible enough to tell him this, and THEN we'll get the top spot again!"

"Good thinking!" Jessie laughed.

#

"So you're with Team Rocket?" Misty asked, frantically, as she backed slowly away. There was something about Nathanael's eyes, something cruel, something wrong, something unstable, that frightened her more than anything else in the world. He wasn't all there. Something had snapped, broken. Perhaps it was the news his life was going to end, that everything he held dear was about to be lost, but he looked wrong, foul, for lack of a better word, truly evil.

"No, of course not! I'm just using them," Nathanael laughed, approaching the orange haired girl, his hands outstretched as he grabbed the girl by the arms. Her shoulders rose uncomfortably as he squeezed her soft biceps, his fingers digging into her flesh. Why was he squeezing so tight? She tried pulling away, only to fail. "I'm financing a massive project at Team Rocket. And, once they do what I want them to, I'll just turn the tables and arrest them. Everyone'll think I'm a hero, especially because I'll convince them to just have them all killed during the arrest, or maybe just blow up their headquarters after I take all the research from them. Then I'd be the most powerful man in the world. Every powerful man needs a bride."

Misty's eyes widen in terror as she struggles to break free. "What're you saying? Let me go! Let go of me now! ASH! HELP ME, ASH!"

Nathanael threw Misty against the wall, pain shooting up her entire body as she rolled down the wall, only for Nathanael to slowly approach, his fingers locked into tight fists as he slammed his knuckles across the girl's cheek, bruising it on contact. Misty fell to the ground, her nose and lip bleeding as Nathanael dragged her by her ankle against the ground, holding her down with his foot. "Now, look, let's not blow things out of proportion here," Nathanael replied, his voice shaky and high as he began breathing shallow, hasty breaths, "C'mon, we can be civil about this. All I want is for you to take off all your clothing. Right now."

"Get away from her now!" Misty glanced over, tears streaming down from her eyes, as Ash emerged, his Pikachu on the ground, cheeks sparkling electricity furiously. Nathanael laughed anxiously as he examined the trainer.

"Oh, so Misty's boyfriend has arrived? Ash Ketchum, I presume? I've read into your history, and let me tell you that you're only second rate around here. Look, you take a single step, and I'll break Misty's ribcage. You shock me, you'll shock Misty, and, well," Nathanael slowly dragged his foot up to Misty's throat, her eyes widening in fear as her heart pumped violently, "You never know how you're body is going to jerk when you go through those electrical shocks, right?"

"You monster!" Ash snapped, clenching his fists so tight Misty was surprised he didn't break through his own skin with his nails.

"I'm afraid so, but, alas, I'm sure that Misty will love me once I show her a good time, if you understand the implications of that," Nathanael laughed, his eyes wide, an evil look in his eyes, "Now, if you'll excuse me—"

Nathanael was thrown aside as a great vine slammed against his side, throwing him against a wall. Misty glanced over to see, to her great surprise, James standing before them, his fists clenched fiercely as his eyes widened in fury, his jaw locked hatefully. Nathanael stared at him and his Carnivine, in shock, then at the scarlet logo on his chest. As Misty pushed herself to her feet, shakily, Nathanael only laughed. "You can't be serious! Excellent, another Rocket thug! Please, take care of these people for me, will you?" When James did nothing, Nathanael's eyes widened in fury, "Damn it! I'm paying your pay check here! I said take care of them! Kill them both! KILL THEM NOW!"

"I refuse," James snapped, his voice lacking his usual jolly nature, replacing jubilance with hatred and anger, "I may be a bad guy, but I'm not sick! I may have done a lot of mean things, but I never beat up a girl like that, and I certainly never wanted to rape her just to make myself feel strong and in control."

"Well then, once I speak to Giovanni about your insubordination, I'll—"

"Oh, you mean talk to the boss?" a female voice said over a local intercom. Misty's eyes widened as Jessie's voice floated through the air.

"What!" Nathanael stammered, eyes widened in fury, "Who is that!"

"To protect the world from devastation—" Jessie began, only for Nathanael to slam his elbow against a window behind him, and, to his glee, hop out of it. Misty stared incredulously at it as there was a flash of light. To her horror, she saw Nathanael rise up on an Aerodactly, its mouth wide open as a great flash of light exploded from its mouth. James darted away, grabbing Misty from under her arm as he dove, along with Ash, away from the blast radius.

All turned white.

#

"Oh, Sabrina. Look at you, so broken and weak," Frollo laughed as the pathetic form of Sabrina rose to her feet, bleeding from the shoulder as she lumbered forward. They were outnumbered for now, but she had anticipated this too. All was going according to plan, save for being shot. She hadn't expected that. She had expected the help to arrive sooner, her reinforcement, her ace in the hole.

"You're underestimating me, ya know," laughed Sabrina, shakily.

"And why's that?"

"Well, you're the mind reader. Can't you see what I'm thinking?" Sabrina asked. Frollo glared hatefully at the woman as he struggled to see, his veins pulsating on his forehead before his he frowned, and glanced at his Espion. It darted toward Sabrina, only for Kadabra to dive in the way, his spoon outstretched. There was a wave of psychic energy that collided into Espion, throwing it aside. However, that left Kadabra open to Medicham, who darted forward, slamming her fists headlong into Kadabra's face, throwing it through the stands, splintering them in his wake. Haunter glanced at Medicham, hypnotizing it without hesitation. As Medicham wavered on its feet, Haunter generated a ball of Shadow energy. As he launched it toward the opposition, Alakazam fired a great wave of psychic energy, knocking Haunter against the wall, almost through it, before leaving the ghost on the ground, twitching weakly.

"It looks like you're out of Pokemon," Frollo said as Medicham came to, smiling slightly as it approached the psychic trainer.

For an instant, Sabrina felt hopelessness and despair fill her. All her planning, all her hard work, was all for naught. Despite calculating and drawing up plans for this one instant in time all this while, now it had all fallen apart around her. The Elite Four high above were turning white, their lives nearly over, and her two defenses were now unconscious, soon to be assimilated into Frollo's hive-mind.

And then she felt it.

"Not quite," Sabrina said, a grin on her lips as a new presence emerged in the room. There was a flash of light, at which all of Frollo's Pokemon recoiled, terrified. Even Frollo, his psychic power out of control around him, shielded is eyes as a new presence arrived in the room. Instantly, before the new creature could even be seen, the people pushed against the wall fell to the ground, freed of the binds, as the now unconscious Elite Four, their lives still intact, fell into their thrones, neatly.

"What in God's name is going on?" Frollo shrieked in terror as the light faded away, revealing a single figure in the room, his massive, feline body foul and twisted, grey skin over a large purple tail, a genetic freak like the ones that Nathanael was planning on harnessing for himself, the inspiration for all the horrors that had occurred that day, the first Pokemon clone in existence: Mewtwo.

He had returned.

"It took you long enough," Sabrina mumbled.

"I felt that arriving at a more dramatic moment would help break Frollo even more," Mewtwo said, his voice inaudible, but rather pulsating inside of Sabrina's head, reverberating across the walls of her skull, "I apologize for your pain, but now it is time to end this quickly."

Frollo's eyes widened in horror at the new arrival. His eye sockets, could they expand, had done so, as never before had Sabrina seen more of the white of a man's eyes before, the bloodshot, grotesque balls staring directly at Mewtwo, who glared directly into his hateful eyes. "No! No! This is impossible! You're can't be here! This doesn't make any sense! I never sensed Sabrina making contact with you—hell—I couldn't even sense you! THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!"

"That's because, unlike you, Sabrina's psychic energy is purely her own," Mewtwo said, slowly approaching Frollo as he backed away, terrified, "You don't deserve your powers. All you have done is murder and terrorize those around you, and now I am about to deconstruct the layers of souls that make up your own. I am going to tear each fragment out of your body, rip it to shreds as you watch, just so you could experience an eighth of the agony you have inflicted upon others. And then, after I do that, I'll put you through an infinity of Hell, worse than any human being should or CAN endure. I hope you're prepared for infinite suffering, because you're about to experience it. Now."

Frollo had backed up against a wall, the very surface crumbling as he pressed up against it, his darkness enveloping him, flaring out violently as he glanced toward his six Pokemon. "Alright, well, then you're gonna have to get through them! KILL HIM!"

His legion of Pokemon leapt toward Mewtwo, psychic energy soaring from their every orifice toward the beast. However, Mewtwo teleported away, behind Sabrina, as the blasts collided, exploding outward. The six beasts were thrown backward, slamming against the walls before leaping over to Mewtwo. However, with a simple extension of his hand, the six fiends were frozen in mid-air, kept levitating in the air as they stared helplessly down at Mewtwo. "I pity these creatures. They have been forced to align with you because you twisted their minds to be a part of your own. Tell me, are these the creatures the ones that allow your mind to retain all those other souls inside of you?"

Frollo's eyes widened yet again. "No! You wouldn't! YOU WOULDN'T!"

As the six Pokemon exploded into an array of blood, Mewtwo grinned. "Actually, I would."

Frollo screamed at the top of his lungs as he fell to his knees, clutching at his skull, screaming to high heaven in agony as he began vomiting his own blood. Sabrina watched, in horror as the Team Rocket elite's shoulders bulged outward, his chest and the rest of his body following suit. He screamed to high heaven, as though every fiber of his being was being torn apart from the inside at that very moment. Small bulges began emerging alongside Frollo's cheeks as, slowly, they opened up, the welts on his face expanding as faces, screaming for life budded from his flesh, complete with noses smelling fresh air after years of imprisonment, mouths speaking incoherent cries and please for help, for salvation, after years of silence inside of the wicked man's body.

The first moment Frollo's shirt ripped apart, Sabrina felt like jumping. An arm had now exploded from Frollo's chest. An entire hand that was reaching for the air. Though dwarfed by the man's true arms, it was large enough to be seen, and soon, as the shirt began to rip apart, new appendages emerged. Fingers, toes, noses, knees, arms, palms, and soon even organs began emerging outside of Frollo's body, writhing and pulsating as they clawed at the air, struggling for freedom. Frollow, his real arms now covered with miniature arms jutting out, his legs covered with hundreds of tiny legs, stumbled forward, clutching at his skull as he screamed, along with every face emerging from his body, for freedom. He lunged toward Sabrina, his jaws now nothing short of monstrous fangs, like an inhuman demon.

He now looked on the outside just as disgusting as he was on the inside.

Sabrina extended her hand, a burst of psychic energy exploding from her hand. Like a chain, it wrapped around the center of Frollo's now multiple torsos. With a harsh flick of her arm, the monster was thrown off from the ground, through the nearest window. The glass shattered into the outside, sunlight shinning in from the world beyond. He was going to plummet down stories and stories down into oblivion, no doubt.

It was only when Sabrina was pulled off her own feet out the window that she was terrified.

Dangling to the ledge with her psychic strength and injured arm, she glanced down. The chain of psychic energy was still attached to her arm, and, try as she might to disconnect it, Frollo clung to the energy, standing on the wall of the building. They were at the very edge of the Indigo League headquarters. Below them was a great expanse of darkness, leading down into what could only be described as utter oblivion. That's what happened when you build your headquarters on the edge of a cliff.

Why did they have to build it on the edge of a cliff, anyway?

Sabrina felt her hand slipping as Frollo laughed, a maniacal, foul laugh, one that sent chills through every orifice of Sabrina's being. It wasn't human, nor had it ever been. It was the sound of a demon, of a creature fouler than any nightmare or any sort of sick, slimy thing you'd find in the depths of the sea or underneath a particular grimy rock. Sabrina felt fear bite her heart for the first time in what had to be years. She wasn't going to survive this, was she? She was going to die.

She glanced down at her attacker, his eyes now deepest scarlet, all fifty of them. He was a ghoul as he took steps forward, up the wall, laughing maniacally as he reached out for Sabrina, chaos personified. However, something odd happened as he reached forward. A small form fell from his flesh, tumbling toward oblivion below. Frollo glanced at the form tumbling before Sabrina watched one of the hands on his own body press against Frollo's grotesque flesh, pushing outward. To Sabrina's horror, a head sprouted from his flesh, along with a body, before it sprouted legs. No longer connected to the monster, a grin on the naked boy's lips, he tumbled down to his death, to truly die, to disappear from this world and emerge in the next. Frollo's eyes widened at this as soon every appendage began pushing outward on his body, pushing against his flesh, pushing out from his flesh, pushing down to their grave from their flesh.

As Frollo's legs were torn asunder, he lost his footing, tumbling off the wall. No longer parallel to the Earth, and falling too far away from it to grab onto it again, he clung for dear life on the chain that now he was in control off. The chain slowly crawled up Sabrina's arm and toward the ledge itself as countless forms spawned off of Frollo's skin-white flesh. Each form was just as white as Frollo, covered in skin-toned mud. Was that the material that composed Frollo's soul? A grotesque slime?

It seemed to fit.

As the last excess appendage drew itself away from Frollo's body, and hurtled down to oblivion, all that was left was a husk of a man. Frollo's body was fleshier than a skeleton, but just barely. His skin had turned black and earthy, no longer with the life that occupied an ordinary human's skin. His flesh was pulled tightly around his bones, his ribs straining to break free from his own skin, his head barely more than a skull with eyes, his hatefully terrified eyes that were wider than ever before, especially considering that his eyelids had now crumbled away along with the rest of the bodies escaping from him.

That expression of fear on his face was exquisite.

However, as Frollo slowly pulled himself higher up the chain, pulling Sabrina downward with each tug, she felt fear consume her. Her arm was bleeding profusely, barely able to hold onto the ledge any longer. If this kept up another second, she might have her arm tear from the rest of her body. The chain was now connected to the ledge, no doubt allowing Frollo to return to the court room. What did he expect to do, anyway? He couldn't beat Mewtwo, nor did she think anyone in that room by now.

Perhaps it was simply that, despite taking lives, he couldn't bare to part with his own.

It was then that glass shattered by a nearby window. Sabrina glanced down, as did Frollo, to see a small black haired head pop out. Another Team Rocket thug. Frollo was going to escape after all! After Sabrina drew so close to slaying a hateful monster, after all that work, Frollo was going to escape to see another day just like that! Slowly, the boy withdrew a single pistol from under his shirt, a syringe placed on it.

He fired it into Frollo's heart.

Sabrina watched as horror filled Frollo's eyes like never before. Slowly, the chain of psychic energy dissolved, disappearing before Sabrina's eyes to her great joy. She sensed the psychic energy that remained around Frollo to slowly focus on keeping his heart beating, to keep the blood streaming through his vessels to keep his horrible existence from fading away. His veins bulged as the contents of the syringe fired into his chest slowly traveled through his bloodstream. He streamed in pain as he grabbed onto the first thing he could find: Sabrina's ankle. His psychic energy was frozen inside of him, keeping his lungs functioning, keeping his heart beating, but unable to escape his own body. His powers were a slave to his physical needs as he screamed out in pain, gagging on his own blood.

Sabrina could no longer hold on.

She let go.

Frollo's hands slid from her ankle as he tumbled through the air, waving his arms helplessly as Sabrina watched him. The sky slowly drew farther and farther away as she plummeted down, her hair dancing around her face. Why did it have to be like this? She intended on living, on seeing her gym be saved and her life to continue, not end. She had too much to live for! She couldn't die now! She didn't WANT to die now!

It was then that a pair of slender arms caught her body in his arms. She looked up to see the face of the Team Rocket member who fired the blast at Frollo. Hastily, he fell backward into the room, using the momentum of Sabrina's body to travel into the room and not down in the caverns below, not like Frollo, who Sabrina saw fall farther and farther down into bleak oblivion, hands outstretched as he descended into the infinite abyss below.

For a moment or two, Sabrina could only breathe on the ground. She glanced over at the boy, who slowly drew himself out from under the psychic's derriere, turning away silently. He was a member of Team Rocket, wasn't he? Why did he help her? Surely she needed to know. However, before she could enter his mind, he turned around, frowning. "Please, for your own sake, don't read my mind. I urge you not to."

"What do you mean for my own sake? I need to know," Sabrina replied, tensely.

"No, believe me, you don't," the boy said, "Listen, there are a lot of things in this universe you shouldn't have to experience. I don't want you to suffer anymore than—"

Too late. Sabrina was already inside his head.

His memories came into Sabrina's head in a rush, the most recent memories coming into her head first. Shi was the boy's name, and Ka was his scarlet haired partner. Sabrina could see the two exiting a plane upon arrival, darting through the hallways. Shi had tucked a tested biochemical weapon developed by Claude himself to suppress psychic energy. It would force the energy to continuously circulate psychic energy to preserve life functions indefinitely in order to keep a psychic from unleashing their power on another target. This effect would end, however, once a specific control, one developed for each syringe, emitted a specific wavelength to deactivate the chemical, or perhaps nanomachines, or whatever it was flowing inside the veins of the target.

Shi had crushed the remote for the syringe now in Frollo's heart.

Shi wanted Frollo to suffer as he had suffered all this time for an eternity. He didn't want to kill him, no, just wanted to put him through an endless loop of eternal torment, as his organs dried out, his blood would still circulate. He would die eventually, yes, but after decades, if not centuries, of remaining at the bottom of a valley, unable to move, talk, communicate in any form, or even have any hope at salvaging himself. Shi intended to tell no one how Frollo had fallen, and, if all went well, they'd assume he died on the mission and there was nothing to recover.

But why did he want that?

Sabrina probed deeper. She saw Frollo standing over Ka's bed, smiling as Shi listened to her tossing and turning in her sleep, crying softly for her mother. She saw Frollo threatening Shi, threatening to kill him just so Ka was miserable for the rest of her days alone, or perhaps to kill Ka so Shi would be away from her forever as she returned "home," whatever that meant. She saw Frollo laughing at them, laughing at their pathetic state, at Shi's desire to make the world a better place, if not only for Ka's sake, since their "home" was so terrible.

"Please…for your own sake…Sabrina…don't go any further!" Shi stammered, struggling against Sabrina's psychic introspection.

Too late. She had gone deeper.

Sabrina was now in a lab, looking at two test tubes lined up along the wall. A man she knew to be Claude was standing out before them as Frollo watched, a grin on their lips. Slowly, the first tube opened up, liquid spilling outward, as a naked Shi tumbled forward, onto his face, barely able to rise. In the tube beside him stood a completely bare Ka, her hair drifting angelically in her tube as Shi stared, transfixed.

"You did it, Frollo," Claude laughed, "It IS possible to transfer a mind from one dimension to the next."

"I can't believe it," Shi stammered.

"Your name is to be Shi, now," Frollo replied, "and her's shall be Ka. Think of it as your new identities."

"Why do we need new ones?" Shi asked.

"Because knowing your real name will only remind Ka of everything you want her to forget," Claude replied, sympathetically, "You must truly love her."

Shi paused, glancing at the ground. "She's all I have anymore. After what happened, I'll do anything to protect her."

"However, such favors as second chances don't come for free," Frollo replied, smiling a wicked grin, "You need to serve us, serve Team Rocket, from here on out."

"I understand. All I've done my entire life is serve someone, so I guess this really isn't any different," Shi mumbled, "Make sure Ka doesn't remember anything from the other world."

"I will, don't worry," Claude replied, "and now, Frollo, it's time to prepare summoning the mind of—"

"PLEASE DON'T GO ANY FURTHER!" Shi stammered to Sabrina, his eyes wide as Sabrina smirked.

Sabrina needed to see more. She needed to see the full story. A little warning wasn't going to stop her from seeing what they were talking about.

Soon, Sabrina had dove into the mind of Shi inside the tube. All that existed was a black void, voices impossible to hear in her ears. Slowly, however, a light emerged at the end of the darkness. Sabrina drew nearer, reaching out for it as it neared her. Here she was. Memories before birth in this world. As she drew nearer, Frollo's voice rang throughout the entire world.

"Do you want a second chance at paradise, boy?"

"Yes."

"Then come with me."

And, as light filled her perspective, she felt euphoria fill every vein of her body. She closed her eyes in joy as relief filled her. She could be salvaged, saved from the hell that lay beyond the light.

She opened her eyes, and the euphoria died.

A gigantic eye stared at her, an eye in the middle of a decaying, rotting skull larger than a building, the decaying head grinning, grinning at her, laughing at her, smiling beyond death, the ghoulish glint filling Sabrina's eyes. She stumbled backward, staring right into the decaying skull with a look of shock. The sky was stained red as blood drifted throughout the sky, the scarlet ocean pouring over the remains of a decaying, rotting giantess and phallic shaped monsters drifting on a decaying, rotting beach of death and starvation. Soon, new images swirled into her head, outside of her control.

Bodies being eaten alive, flesh ripped from the bone as blood squirted in all directions, bodies being squeezed until their heads rocketed off against the walls, strangling the life as their pulse ran against your hands, soldiers opening fire on unarmed women dragging their dead lovers' and friends' bodies across the ground, riddled with violent holes, giant eyes staring at her, bodies knotting and twisting as faces emerged on every orifice, erecting out of their mouths while cooing pleasurably, all the while stabbing great spears into their chest, moaning in euphoria as they bled, a girl being stabbed through the eye, ripped to shreds, disemboweled, stabbed again and again and again and again and again and again and again before being eaten alive as she screamed helplessly.

But then there were the screams, the cries out of pain that Sabrina couldn't block out. They overlapped, the poor girl unable to sort where one voice began and the other ended.

""

Sabrina screamed just to keep her mind from imploding upon herself. She collapsed against the floor before the boy, staring up at Shi as he glanced pityingly down on her. "I warned you, didn't I?" Shi asked, turning away, leaving Sabrina on the floor as she trembled from head to toe. She stumbled toward the window, and vomited down, unable to contain herself any longer. She could only stare down at the abyss below her, still able to see that eye, that decaying, horrible eye staring at her no matter where she went.

The abyss was staring back.

This wasn't over.

Not yet.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13**

Muffled voices in the distance. The words were spoken, yes, their voices heard, but no meaning could be deciphered from their lyrical nuances and pronunciation. There was no sort of sense she could make from the smothered sounds and incoherent voices that surrounded him. The hands pulling him to his feet were like smoke to him: intangible, yet it existed all the same. There was no sort of logic he could make as he realized that actual smoke was surrounding him on all angles, replacing the oxygen in his lungs with soot and filth. He coughed loudly to himself as he struggled to clear his throat, even voices around him making little to no sense.

Finally, one sentence made sense.

"Ash! Are you okay? Ash? Ash!"

The orange haired girl struggled to rouse the teen as he slowly came to. His forehead was bleeding as Ash rose to his feet. He remembered being thrown out of the line of fire, out of—

"Where's Nathanael!" Ash stammered, turning to face the wreckage behind him. No sight he had ever seen in the world could compare to the unequaled destruction behind him. Smoke rose in great plumes before him as charred concrete and stone crumbled away. The crater spread across with a diameter of thirty feet, a jet that lead straight through to the other side of the building. Ash was grateful that, in his still stunned perspective, that the majority of people working here that day had been in the court room, which was probably untouched by the beam.

But that didn't everyone was there.

Nathanael HAD hit someone.

Somebody HAD died.

He was a murderer.

He had to pay.

"Dammit!" Ash screamed, only for the stress caused by screaming to hurt his head. He tumbled to his feet, Misty as his side, only for Ash to become aware of another two figures behind him. Pikachu hopped on his shoulder, carefully pressing his small little fingers against Ash's skull, as though to ensure it was still in one piece. Smiling, he rubbed Pikachu's head affectionately as the purple haired man known as James drew up closer behind him.

"Thank God Jessie and Meowth weren't hit by that," James sighed, "Their room is at least fifty feet away from the radius."

"Why did you help us?" Misty asked, curiously staring up at the purple haired man, "Don't you work for him?"

"Well, you heard what he said, didn't you?" James asked, curiously, "He's out to hurt Team Rocket too, so I don't see why we should serve someone who's just going to kill us anyway. Besides, I do the things I do more because they're fun, but you should know I'm not going to just out and kill you guys."

"That's true," Misty replied, frowning, "Well, within reason."

"James!"

The group turned toward the other side of the crater, where Jessie and Meowth stood. Ash almost smiled at the presence of perhaps their biggest enemies. After all, these guys had consistently, almost on a daily basis, went out of their way to cause them trouble, and yet here they were, their knights in shining armor, succeeding in doing something right. These guys were terrible bad guys. James turned toward the new arrivals, a grin on his lips as he waved over to them. "Jessie! Did you send the data to the boss yet?"

"Of course! I'm not stupid, ya know!" Jessie snapped, "So now we just need to make that—"

At that moment, a plane flew overhead. Jessie, James, and Meowth turned toward it as it soared away, shooting away in a sonic boom, disappearing into the depths of the blue sky. James lowered his head in exasperation, his eyes wide, his jaw slacked. "Uh, Jessie, that wouldn't happen to be the plane that we came here on, would it? Jessie?"

Jessie was silent for a moment before her lips contorted, eyes twisting in rage and fury. "DAMN YOU, KA!"

#

"So Frollo didn't make it?"

"No, he had an unfortunate fall."

Shi glanced over at his scarlet haired beauty, who stared out of the window, mildly bored. Her angular face shone against the light, not the other way around. She was beautiful, her Germanic heritage shaping her nose and face in just a way that left her indescribably beautiful. Or, perhaps, that was simply how Shi had idolized her in the year since he had first laid eyes on her, the year everything changed.

No matter what, it seemed as though, no matter which world he dwelled in, he was destined to fight a war he didn't understand by controlling monsters. So in this world the beasts were simply contained in small little balls you could put in your pocket. A pocket monster, huh? How different than the building sized monstrosities they had harnessed in his old world, but regardless it was just as foul and lethal as his old world. Why was it that, no matter what world he dwelled in, he'd always find pain? Did suffering and anguish follow him like a bad dream? Was it obsessed with raining on his parade no matter how far he marched?

"Ah well, he deserved it," Ka mumbled, running a hand over her face, glancing out the window once more, "He gave me the creeps. I guess poor Mr. Butler is just going to suffer some more. I feel bad for the guy, you know?" Shi felt a sense of jealousy in his heart. Why did she have to prefer someone else over him? It was like that in the last world, too, sort of. No, in the other world she had simply hidden her emotions toward him. He had realized that when they became one, in the most literal sense imaginable. It helped that Nathanael looked just like that other guy from their old world, the man how had been their benefactor, the man who Ka had lusted over as well.

When her name wasn't Ka, but rather—

"Shouldn't we have waited for those two idiots?" Ka asked, curiously, "I mean, they are stupid, but they aren't as bad as Frollo."

"You really shouldn't even compare the two," Shi chuckled, "But, well, I figure we should probably leave for Claude soon." The truth was he hated how those two caused Ka pain. After Shi had hurt Ka so often, he wanted to spoil his love, ensure she never had to cry or shed another tear ever again. Perhaps Claude would have to go as well, and the rest of Team Rocket for that matter. Maybe they could have a home in the mountains somewhere alone, just the two of them, where no one could hurt Ka ever again.

No, he'd be running away again.

Had he learned nothing at all?

"Listen, Shi," Ka mumbled, glancing over at her partner, "I don't know how to say this, but I've been having a lot of weird nightmares lately." Shi felt his heart race. "Look, I don't know if these have any real meaning, and I don't know why I'm telling an idiot like you this, but every night it's the same essential dream. There's this girl who I think is me, and she's running. She's very happy, like, ecstatic, and she's going to tell her mother something." She's remembering! She's remembering everything that Shi wanted her to forget! "Well, what happens is she goes home, and opens the door, and then I just feel so sad I start crying. I feel really stupid saying all this, but, well, does it make any sense to you?"

"Well, I'm sure you're just really stressed is all," Shi replied, "Or maybe Frollo was giving you nightmares."

"Maybe, but it's the same dream ever since we woke up on Tohjo Falls," Ka replied, "I mean, I know you didn't lose your memory after that, but maybe it's a memory or something from then? And I keep feeling upset whenever anyone mentions my mom, like something psychic, ya know? I know you said she passed away, but maybe I'm remembering something else. Can you give me an idea or a hint at least? What am I missing?"

"You're missing nothing," Shi said, abruptly, anxiously, "It's just—"

"Shi! Ka!" the loud booming voice through the speakers of the plane saved Shi from defending his point. Ka glanced up, slightly annoyed, as Claude's voice rang throughout the shaft of the plane. "We have an urgent emergency."

"What's going on this time?" Ka grumbled, "Is it because Nathanael is ruined? We can always get money somewhere else, ya know."

"No, it's the fact that Nathanael was planning to double cross us!"

"He was?" Shi said, happily, much to Ka's disapproval. The truth was, the fact that Nathanael was their enemy made things easier for him. That meant that he could eliminate the only person in the way of ensuring a world where Ka could be happy. After all, hell had existed before for them, and it was people like Nathanael, manipulative, cruel people who had ruined everything, taking away everything away from them.

And then there were people like him, who unleashed hell upon the world.

He was a sinner just as terrible as the others, wasn't he?

He was a murdering, cruel monster.

He was a demon.

Shi was evil.

"I want you both to guard the base," Claude stammered, his voice clearly frantic, "God knows that Nathanael might come now that the cards are down to steal the Ultimate Weapon. I need you both to be on constant alert. I fear he WILL be out for blood. I daresay he even knows Team Rocket is onto his game, so we need to be completely defensive now. I need you both back! ASAP!"

"Right," Shi replied, nodding, his eyes determined. He needed to make a perfect world for Ka. Within his hands was the potential for a glorious future in this world. Nathanael was NOT a part of that universe, that much he was sure of. Despite how Ka looked saddened by the fact she needed to kill someone she felt was sexy, despite how put off she was by the prospect of annihilating their former benefactor, Shi couldn't have been any happier, though he hid his zeal underneath his usual meekness.

Never could he show his true colors.

It would ruin everything.

He was like Father.

He was rotten.

#

Claude stared at the monitors before him, head lowered, his locks of pepper hair falling in front of his eyes. He was trembling, every fiber of his being torn asunder and ruined. He didn't notice his surroundings, nor, honestly, did he really care about them. All that truly mattered at that moment was what had been lost, what was gone forever more. He stared at the tube containing the Ultimate Weapon, then at the door that concealed his true goal, the zenith of his desires and wants.

It had been Miyamoto's daughter that informed Giovanni of Nathanael's betrayal.

Claude couldn't help but smile at that as he rose up to his full height, staring blankly at the monitors. Miyamoto's skill and craft must've spread off onto her daughter, no doubt. Clearly she must've been able to succeed as well as she did because it was in the genes and blood. That family was born to do great things. Claude laughed a little as he remembered his blood line. If anything, he was genetically predisposed for failure. His parents were both slain by a rogue Arcanine that had been abused and tortured by its trainer. However, he had managed to defeat the Arcanine with only his Mudkip, and a weak one at that. To be fair, his Mudkip did have a type advantage, but that meant little.

It just so happened that Giovanni, who at the time was simply a Rocket Elite, the son of Madame Boss, the current head of Team Rocket, was in the area when he fought his great battle. Instantly, he asked if Claude wanted to join Team Rocket, which he meekly agreed to. It was then that his life would change forever, as one could logically expect when making such a life-changing experience as joining an international criminal organization. It was then that he was partnered up with Miyamoto. Claude would never forget their first meeting, where he tripped onto her, knocking the refreshments she had been given on her shirt.

"My shirt!" she had stammered, flushing scarlet, "You jerk! You just ruined a perfectly good outfit! Now I'm gonna have to get it washed! Idiot!" Miyamoto delivered a well-placed and well-deserved kick right into Claude's shoulder. The force of that kick had dislocated the bone, putting Claude out of commission for a good week. At first, Claude wished death upon the horrible witch. She was cruel, crass, relatively harsh, and all around a jerk to him. However, after a year of working many heists and robberies with the girl, he came to realize that she only tried to look tough to mask her own insecurities about the future.

The truth was that Miyamoto was virtually penniless. She had been kicked out of her own house by her parents once they learned of her associations with Team Rocket, and she was left to fend for herself. She came to Team Rocket out of desperation, and even after becoming a Rocket Elite, she was never given a substantial pay check from Madame Boss, despite how much she, and eventually Claude, begged for the money she needed.

When Miyamoto became pregnant, all at once Claude felt disheartened. Miyamoto had explained it was an accident, how the child was the product not of love making, but rather of rape. Upon hearing this, Claude tracked down the man who had ravaged his angel, and strangled him to death with his bare hands. Of course, Miyamoto never learned of that day, but she did learn the rapist had died when Giovanni discovered a dead Team Rocket grunt in the broom cupboard a few days later, the veins in his neck popped from the pressure of his hands.

Miyamoto could barely take care of herself as it was, but a daughter? Every cent Miyamoto made went to taking care of her little girl, and every time they went on a mission together, Miyamoto would squeal in delight about how beautiful her little girl was becoming. Such endearment, such beautiful talk, made Miyamoto even more beautiful in Claude's eyes than ever before. Claude actually donated a good chunk of his paycheck when Miyamoto revealed she treated her daughter to snow she picked up off the side of the street as a special desert during the wintertime, at which Claude informed his dear partner of the dangers of picking up filthy frozen water from the sky that animals can urinate on and people step on, and giving it to a growing little girl.

Nevertheless, Madame Boss never gave Miyamoto nearly enough money, and, as a result, she had to put her little girl up for adoption, unable to take care of her any longer. The day she did the dead, she came to Claude, tears in her usually strong eyes. She had cried. He had comforted her. Eventually, by the end of the day, they made love for the first time. Claude would comfort his beloved, and do whatever it took to help her.

Madame Boss soon after placed both Rocket Elites on the Mew Project, who Boss wanted not for the sake of power or anything of that sort, but rather for the appeal of having a cute rare Pokemon in her mitts. Giovanni was placed at the head of such a project, though his input that Mew was perhaps amongst the strongest of all Pokemon and could be used as a powerful weapon was never really acknowledged. Miyamoto and Claude were given the task to hunt down Mew. Perhaps to escape the pain of being forced to abandon her own child, Miyamoto drowned herself in work, searching obsessively for the elusive creature. Claude was always willing to help.

The official record stated that Miyamoto disappeared during her search.

The truth was that Miyamoto died looking for Mew.

She wasn't killed by a monster out to hurt her, nor did she have an accident in the wilderness, no. Miyamoto died because she obsessed with finding Mew to the extent that nothing else mattered. Claude watched the girl he made love to, his beloved Miyamoto, waste away before him. She'd forget to eat or drink on occasion, because, after all, eating and drinking both took time away from finding Mew, and no one found the rarest of Pokemon by eating on the job. For years they looked, and every day Miyamoto was paler than the last, her already slender arms shrinking before Claude's eyes until they were bony twigs fit to snap under the lightest touch. Her skin was pulled tightly against her jaws and cheeks until he could outline her very skull. She had little energy to even more anymore. It became so bad that Claude needed to give her research materials in her bed to examine because she was too exhausted to even lift her body out from under the covers.

Despite being inches from death, Miyamoto never changed her philosophy. She was always stubborn, but why did she have to be so stupid on top of all else? Did she lose the will to live out of guilt for leaving her daughter behind? Claude always suspected that was it. The day Miyamoto died was a day Claude had relived every night he dreamt, every second he blinked, like a ghost haunting him from beyond the grave. She had no final words, since her throat had dried up so terribly no words could emerge, now did she have the energy to even open her eyes. The only way Claude knew she was alive at all was because of the raspy breathes of air she gasped out for and the veins pulled against her skin, no fat left to cushion her body. Claude knew she was suffering, and knew he should just put her out of her misery, but he couldn't. Even after she fell asleep forever, her veins slowly losing their vigor and life, her breathing slowing to a crawl before stopping altogether, he never could bring himself to mercy kill her.

They never discovered her body, despite the fact she died on Tohjo Falls.

And now, years later, Claude was going to finish what they started together. Mew's remains had been discovered, but even so, Claude later learned that, once Madame Boss died under unusual circumstances and Giovanni had ascended to power over Team Rocket, Mew was taken seriously as a weapon, and the process to clone Mew began. That was a notorious failure, and Givoanni obsessed over finding Mewtwo. Meanwhile, however, other plans were put into action to clone Mew yet again. However, when Mewtwo destroyed the lab on New Island, Mew's remains were torched, destroyed altogether. They lacked any genetic material to create another Pokemon.

That was when Claude proposed the idea to make a Pokemon stronger than Mewtwo.

Far stronger.

And now the Ultimate Weapon stood before him in his tube, near completion. All he required was a single stone from within Tohjo Falls, the place where everything began to Claude and where everything was going to end. However, as Claude considered everything, he had everything he needed even if the Ultimate Weapon never reached 100% of its potential. Frollo had tested transferring the minds and souls of one deity across the fabric of reality with Shi and Ka, and had later proven successful with another genetic creation. All he needed was time. A day, maybe two, and all he had worked for would be completed.

He could not allow Nathanael to screw it all up.

He had waited too long for all this.

"Soon, my love. Soon."

#

Ash walked into the court room, Misty at his side, Jessie, James, and Meowth behind them. It took a lot of negotiations to convince the trio of criminals it was okay to walk into a court room if they promised to help with their objectives. Their plan had been a simple one, and the trio had only helped them out. They had sought to trick Nathanael into confessing his sins on camera, proving, with the extremely sensitive cameras that could pick up psychic manipulation, that they weren't tricking or manipulating Nathanael into confessing his sins, but that he rather jut outright stated the extent of his cruelty and evil on an undeniable security system.

It had worked a little too well.

Walking in, Ash expected to see Surge freed, everyone cheering, maybe a couple beaten Rocket grunts, Frollo perhaps being walked into jail. What he didn't expect was the world's strongest Pokemon standing in the center of a decimated court room where Surge stared horrified out at his environment as Sabrina teleported into the room, gasping for air, horrified about something they could not see. Ash noticed Surge standing, a look of triumphant awe in his eyes, only to notice Molly, who was staring at the large puddles of blood around the room, her own face peppered scarlet. Her eyes were wide, her skin drained of color. She almost looked catatonic.

"What's going on here?" James stammered, pointing toward Mewtwo incredulously.

Mewtwo smirked on his feline lips as he lowered his head in amusement. "So I have the pleasure of seeing you yet again."

"Mewtwo?" Misty stammered, "Just what're you doing here?"

"I called him here," Sabrina muttered, rising silently to her feet as she ran a hand over her sweaty brow, "Remember when I went to Cerulean Cave awhile back? I had anticipated this event accordingly, and placed all my pieces in place. Mewtwo was the only creature strong enough to stand up against Frollo and have an assured victory against him. I also intend on having him help us defeat Nathanael."

"Defeat Nathanael? Is he truly strong enough to require the air of a Pokemon none of us ever heard of?" Lance asked, curiously as he descended from his throne, leaping off of the balcony only to land neatly on his feet before the others, his cape flapping around him majestically.

"He's stronger than you'd think," Sabrina replied, still shaking for some odd reason. Just what had gone on in this room, anyway? No, better question: did Ash truly want to know what had gone on here?

"Stronger?" Lance chuckled, "How much so?"

"His Pokemon have been genetically enhanced by Team Rocket's own biochemical enhancements," Mewtwo stated, turning toward the window, "They are superior to your trained Pokemon, which is why Surge, despite being a formidable trainer, was unable to stand up to someone who gained their power through such cheap, yet highly expensive, means. In short, he's like a tank. You can't just expect your artillery fire to take him down. You need a massive gun. In other words, you need me."

Ash stared at the great powerhouse before him. To be honest, Ash didn't remember seeing Mewtwo actually fight the only time he saw him in Johto. He kept feeling a sense of déjà vu while facing him, yet at the same time that was the only time he had met a true Mewtwo in the flesh. Even though he never fired a single blast at Giovanni's legion of Pokemon, he never truly fought a Pokemon battle. Was he any good?

"Under usual circumstances, I wouldn't allow vigilante justice like this, but seeing as how Sabrina is a gym leader, and I have aided both Ash and Misty in Johto with the Red Gyarados incident, I suppose the situation could be a lot more dire, and, in the end, the ends justifies the means. Mewtwo, I require your aid. Can you help us defeat Nathanael Butler?"

"Of course," Mewtwo replied, smiling.

#

But of course it wouldn't be so simple as that. These simple humans, so willing to trust him right off the bat as though they were longtime friends. Although Mewtwo was well aware that good humans did exist, he knew what their kind could potentially do to someone like Mewtwo. Who was saying that Lance was any better than Giovanni himself? It was entirely possible that Lance had malicious plans of his own in store for Mewtwo. Although he doubted Lance could do a thing to stop him, Mewtwo was ready for the Greatest Pokemon Trainer in Kanto to unleash hell upon him the moment the cloned Pokemon let his guard down.

So he needed to make the most out of his little revenge.

Lance paused a second as a device on his belt began blinking rapidly. He withdrew the small, electronic device from his hip, glanced at it, before grinning broadly. He hastily turned toward the cloned beast. "Mewtwo, I need you to come with me. I have a special job for you to do while they're off fighting Nathanael."

"Wait, so I won't be fighting Nathanael?" Mewtwo asked, in awe and confusion.

"Oh, you will, I simply have another objective for you first," Lance said, "Let me handle Nathanael for now. I think I have a proposal you might find appealing. Come with me."

Mewtwo followed the caped trainer, glancing over at Ash and the others. Those four trainers, the two Pokemon standing out of their balls were staring in awe at the great Mewtwo. Had it not been for those individuals, the world would have ended long ago. To say that he was not in awe with them would be a lie. For every sense of astonishment they felt upon finding themselves in the presence of the almighty Mewtwo, the extremely mighty Pokemon was just as in awe of them and their unlimited potential, despite being simply Humans and mere Pokemon.

Lance took Mewtwo into a dark chamber, turning toward him with a grin. "Sabrina tells me you were created by Team Rocket, and then manipulated by them. Is this true?"

"Sabrina said that? I suppose she would know. She sensed my presence the moment I was born. I could tell that much upon meeting her. She knew where I was, and had planned on fighting me for years. But, alas, our first meeting resulted in an alliance between the two of us. Nature has a true sense of irony."

"Ironic? You've heard nothing quite yet," Lance replied, "Are you aware that Giovanni is the head of Team Rocket?"

"Of course I am. I met him, fought for him. How ignorant do you think I am, human?"

"Oh, I'm not insulting your intelligence. I'm just making sure so we're on the same page," Lance replied, withdrawing a remote control. He pressed a single button, only for a television screen to descend from the ceiling, and, in a second, the image flashed as Giovanni himself emerged to life. At first, Mewtwo braced himself, ready to kill Lance, no doubt a spy for Team Rocket, and all around him. Soon, however, he realized he had nothing to fear: the image of Giovanni was a pre-recorded image, and, judging by the words spoken, and the girl Jessie's voice emerging in response, this had nothing to do with Mewtwo.

"What is this?"

"This message was sent from our security room to Giovanni by the Team Rocket member you saw walking into this room. We are set to arrest the trio the moment they are lulled into a false sense of security, so don't worry about them. However, we now have undeniable evidence that our suspect Giovanni, former leader of Viridian Gym, is clearly the head of Team Rocket. We have his current location, everything in our databanks. So, if someone were to, say, capture him right now, we'd have a warrant for his arrest and everything. In fact, we'd probably have a bounty of him wanted dead or alive." Lance glanced over at Mewtwo, whose lips curled into a grin. A chance at revenge? He had long restrained the idea, as he had enjoyed remaining free, and he had eliminated Giovanni's memory of Mewtwo's existence. However, as he had now learned thanks to Sabrina, now Giovanni had created another abomination like him. Clearly he had not learned, and clearly he would sentence various creatures to suffer a similar fate to Mewtwo.

It was time Giovanni suffered as Mewtwo suffered.

"Alright, give me all the information you have, but I have a single condition," Mewtwo replied, frowning.

"And what's that?" Lance asked.

"The Rocket Elites who sent the message out are not to be arrested," Mewtwo said, "Their criminal records are to be wiped clean, and they are to be credited with assisting the capture of a rogue Indigo Plateau official named Nathanael Butler. If you are to fail to meet these conditions, once I kill Giovanni, I'll rip out your still-beating heart. Understand?"

Lance grinned, "That's your only condition? Mewtwo, I safely assure you that is well within the limits of my abilities." Lance extended his hand, a smile on his lips. Mewtwo regarded the gesture, silently for a few moments before slowly extending his own, shaking the Elite Four member's hand. He regarded this for a few moment, slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't that he didn't trust Lance, it was simply that he never before had shaken hands with a human before. IT was such an odd gesture, yet, at the same time, it felt proper, a unifying statement that sent a small grin upon Mewtwo's lips.

"I will eliminate Giovanni. You needn't worry."

#

"So what do we do now?" Ash asked, looking at Sabrina.

Sabrina regarded them for a moment, her expression strained. Finally, she said, slowly, "My plan had reached its end. I'm going to have my gym back. However, that doesn't mean the job is finished quite yet. Nathanael Butler is still lose. Until he is captured, he will be a danger to everyone here. He is going toward the last Team Rocket lab in Viridian City right now, that much I assure you. Once he gets there, he's going to kill everyone who stands in his way until he harnesses the Ultimate Weapon. Surge, Molly, Jessie, James, Meowth, Misty, Pikachu, and Ash, I require all of your aid. Come with me now. Once Lance leaves Mewtwo with the task I know is equally as important as what we're about to do, he'll supply us with a jet to reach the base. We must attack now!"

Ash felt his heart beat against the inside of his ribs. This was it, wasn't it? The final battle? The epic climax to their journey? He glanced at Misty, amazed to find her just as determined as he was. She was bruised, yes, injured, of course, but still that hadn't squashed her will to fight. She truly was a glorious woman, so beautiful, so perfect. He wanted to just hold her hand right now, an urge he didn't really understand. Why was he thinking these thoughts? Why was he acting so strangely? Her gym was safe, but now it was the temple of her body they needed to protect from that bastard Nathanael.

It was time to end the fight.

"I'm in," Ash said.

"So am I," Misty replied.

"Pika Pi!"

"Look, I may not be used to this whole hero business, but I'll do my best too," James said, stepping forward.

"James, you aren't doin' this alone! Count me in too," Jessie replied.

"Hey! I'm in too!" Meowth stammered.

"I'm ready to kick some ass," Surge laughed, punching his fist.

"I—I—I'll do it too," Molly stammered, still visibly in shock.

It was then that Lance left the dark chamber, his cape flapping as he approached. A grin on his lips, he said, "We'll be ready in five minutes. Come with me, and we'll head to Viridian now."

It was time to finish the fight.


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 14**

The doors were sealed shut before the mass of soldiers in black, their dark red "R's" sodden with fearful sweat. Their many blank faces stared at the iron barriers holding out their enemy, a man possessed by pure cruelty, completely consumed by vehemence and rage. They stared with their legions of comrades, weaponry, and all the products of their research, praying it would be enough to restrain the opposition. There were booms and explosions from beyond their border, and, with each scream of pain, their resolve was chiseled away. From under their caps and berets, there were two eyes glued to the world before them, terror in their small irises.

The door bubbled inward, allowing a great jet of energy to wash over them.

In seconds, all their hopes and fears were turned to ash.

Along with their entire bodies.

#

"C'mon! Can't this jet go any faster!" Ash stammered, glaring at the pilot anxiously from his seat.

"It's going as fast as it can," Lance answered for the preoccupied pilots as they launched from Indigo toward Viridian in the distance.

"But at this rate Nathanael's probably already there," Ash mumbled. How could these people just not understand? This guy was a threat, a danger. He had killed people now, he wasn't just a corrupt official. He was a murderer, and had almost hurt—almost raped—almost killed Misty! He almost lost her. Had Nathanael succeeded, well, Ash would've never been able to look at her face ever again.

As though summoned by Ash's fears, Misty's soft fingers pressed into Ash's shoulder, delicately tense. "Look, calm down. I don't think Nathanael can even beat the Team Rocket grunts put in the way, and besides, aren't those two Rocket Elites there, too?"

"You mean Shi and Ka?" James asked, curiously.

"They don't look too strong," Jessie grumbled.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu grumbled, shaking his head in disapproval.

Ash glanced over to the side, only to notice Molly. She was still staring out the window, her eyes wide in shock. Clearly the incident in the court room had left her stunned. From what Sabrina, Surge, and Lance had informed him, Molly had witnessed what could only be described as a unleaded nightmare fuel. Frollo's body warping and mutating before her eyes, as his Pokemon were torn to shreds by Mewtwo. Sabrina, however, seemed to be in just as much shock, though as to what she was in shock over she wouldn't say. Clearly, something terrifying had happened during the fight, perhaps on a psychic level.

Ash wasn't sure he wanted to know what spooked Sabrina.

"Look, Misty, I gotta say something," Ash mumbled, glancing over to the orange haired girl. She regarded him curiously, her head cocked in confusion as Ash began, his expression dire, "I just—well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Misty glanced over at Ash, a confused expression on her face. "Huh? Whaddya have to be sorry for?"

"I'm sorry for a few years ago. You know, when I let you leave?"

Misty's lips curled into a soft smile. "Oh, c'mon Ash! It wasn't that bad. I mean, we did see each other a few times, right?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't enough. Not for you. Not for me," Ash said as he glanced aside. He wasn't good at saying things like this. He kept sounding too sappy, too mushy, too ridiculous. Couldn't he just spit it out? Couldn't he just say what he wanted to say? How hard could it possibly be to say those few words? Intangible words he could not grasp yet could at the very least see? Ah well, no point being flowery about it. "Look, I missed you, alright?"

"You missed me?" Misty asked, eyes wide, a tender glint in her eyes.

"Yeah. Every single day."

Misty's lips melted into a small little smile. She regarded him silently for several minutes, unable to look away, yet simultaneously unable to stare directly at him. "Ash, why are you saying this now? If you missed me, why didn't ya call, or send a letter, or just fly back for me? Why didn't—why didn't—" Misty's eyes grew rather misty as she stared at Ash, who could only regard her with sympathy. He let Misty lean her face against his bosom, patting her head. He heard her muffled voice whisper, "Why tell me this now?"

Ash was silent for a moment as he considered what words to say in response. Finally, he managed to say a simple little sentence that left a deep impact, one that drained the chamber of any light it might have possessed previously. "I don't know if we're all going to live through today."

#

"What is the status on Viridian Base!" Giovanni snapped into the numerous video monitors, the recording devices at his lips, hoping that anyone could give him an answer from within the chaos of violence. He witnessed as flames exploded from every doorway, individual men and women diving out in pain, screaming as their skin literally melted off of their flesh and bone. He watched as grunts dragged their friends and lovers across the ground, perhaps hoping to drag them off to salvation, only for a great flash of light to wrench the two partners to shreds, reducing them to ash or, worst yet, charred remains of flesh. He watched as Nathanael Butler overwhelmed his men and women without any difficulty at all.

Giovanni cared little for the lives of the individuals. They were, after all, just pawns for Giovanni to use in his war. But, after placing 80% of his men on call in the Viridian Base to defend all the precious technology, he had hoped that they'd be able to do more than simply become targets for Nathanael's own assault team. He had spent billions on this research. If it fell through and was all for nothing, he'd be ruined! He'd have nothing left. Nathanael Butler had been his diamond in the rough, a man Claude claimed would supply them all the money they needed, along with ensuring their Rocket grunts could enter Tohjo Falls to retrieve rare materials necessary for the cloning process.

Now Butler showed his true colors.

It wasn't a pretty sight.

"Sir! Nathanael Butler is moving to the lower levels!" a grunt screamed into a mike before flames consumed him entirely. Giovanni watched as his skin literally melted off his face, leaving a charred skeleton before him. The sight was gruesome, too violent for the man to handle so easily. He glanced aside, noticing through the corner of his eye his right hand general stood right behind him, just as mortified by the violence as he was.

"That's just too much," Domino mumbled, glancing away, unable to stare into the screen as she placed a hand on her mouth, nauseated.

"All of the years of hard work! Everything we've strived for is being ruined by the very man who gave us everything we had!" Giovanni ran his hands shakily over Persian's head, his eyes wide with fury, "I can't believe we've been deceived so easily."

"Are you sure you don't want me over there, Giovanni?" Domino asked, her voice filled with nausea, yet still in possession of a certain harshness, a cold sort of demeanor that made her such a skilled soldier.

"And risk leaving the King open after all the Pawns have been removed from the board? No, I need defense, and you're ideal. All your technology is made up of the prototypes of what we've created there. If we allow your arsenal to be destroyed, even if we had the funds to start all over again, the data and research would be gone completely. No, we need you here."

"If you say—"

"GIOVANNI!"

At that moment, all the monitors suddenly went blank. This was quite parculiar, as the charts and monitors seemed to imply that no damage had been done to the lower levels of the Viridian Base as of that moment, so there was no reason why all the cameras would be damaged. If they had been damaged, the monitors would read "No Reception" anyway, so this left one major explanation: a pirate signal had interrupted his reception. "Who is this?" Giovanni snapped, hatefully.

"There is no point revealing my identity, for you no longer know of my existence," the voice said, harsh and cruel, bone chilling to an extent. If Giovanni were a man to show his emotions on his sleeve, the voice might have the satisfaction of seeing him tremble a little, but Giovanni was no fool. If he revealed he was afraid, he would be weak, and weakness was something the head of Team Rocket could NOT tolerate.

"So you refuse to tell us your true identity?" Giovanni asked, smirking, "Alright then. I suppose I'll need to eliminate you the old fashioned way." The man pressed a button on a nearby pad next to a monitor. In a second, a screen burst to life, revealing the location of the pirate signal. Just before the monitor exploded in an array of glass and sparks, he saw the horrific data. The source of the signal came from within Team Rocket headquarters!

The invader was inside the very facility!

"Now you understand, Giovanni. I predict that, by the end of twenty minutes, you and everyone in this building will be dead. I guarantee this. If you run for your lives, your deaths shall come sooner. Resist, and maybe I'll humor you by making you my personal slave. Come out and fight me, Giovanni! Come so I can face you like a man!"

"I'll shut that stupid mouth of his for ya, boss!" Domino turned toward the door, only for Giovanni to rise to his feet.

"Stay where you are, 009," Giovanni replied, glancing over at the blonde haired female henchman, "I'm quite sure that this man wants to challenge me. If he thinks he can stand up to a trainer with enough power to stand up to the Elite Four, then he is a fool to say the least. Very well, I'll face him. I hope he's ready for a battle, for he is going to remember this moment for the rest of his days!"

#

The sounds of explosions filled the air as Shi and Ka stood in the hallway, carefully. Around them were hundreds of frightened grunts, all trembling in their boots. What a bunch of cowards they all were. Ka shook her head in disbelief, a grin on her lips. Though she was afraid, that was for certain, the prospect of victory loomed ahead of her. If she won, she'd be credited with saving Team Rocket from utter decimation, salvaging the entire organization from a lunatic. If she was able to that, then she'd be ranked alongside the best of Team Rocket members, regarded as a master trainer. She grinned, almost laughing to herself in zeal as her scarlet locks fell over her eyes, her lips curled so drastically her cheeks were literally twisted around just to compensate for the giddy grin.

"Let's get ready, men!" Ka said, her voice cracking from the great volume of her voice as she withdrew her Poke-Ball. Giving the sphere an affectionate squeeze, she threw the sphere into the air as that stupid idiot Shi did the same. In a duo of brilliant novas, Palkia and Dialga emerged, roaring mightily and powerfully. The sight of the two legendaries must've empowered the hearts of all the Rocket grunts behind them, as they too zealously threw their balls into the air. A legion of Raticates, Arboks, and Weezings emerged, staring ahead of them as light flared into the room from a distance.

As the smoke rose into the air, a single figure emerged, his head lowered, his locks of hair tumbling over his deep, vile eyes glancing ahead. His jacket was tattered, the hem charred and burned as it flapped behind him like a dark, twisted cape. He lumbered forward, looking ahead at the legion of Rocket Grunts before him, Shi and Ka leading the pack. "I see you have the welcoming committee here for me."

"Listen, if you just give up now we won't have to kill you," Shi snapped, aggressively. Wow, Ka gave the boy credit. So he did have a backbone after all. She was kinda impressed. She would've given him a pat on the back, was the adrenaline of battle not pumping so violently through her veins at that very moment.

"Well, I suppose I would give up if I wasn't so close to getting exactly what I need. So could you all be a dear and stand back for a moment or two?" Nathanael asked as his quintet of Pokemon emerged: Machamp, Tyrannitar, Magmortar, Aerodactyl, and Arcanine. They would be easy for Ka to crush. With a grin, she watched as Tyrannitar and Aerodactly fired great jets of energy from their mouths, twin Hyper Beams. The Rockets and their Pokemon recoiled in fear, but Palkia and Dialga emerged in the forefront, great barriers emerging between them and the blasts. The shields held the blasts off, their energy lapping around the shields, rippling violently as they pushed against the defense.

"Alright! Dialga!" Shi shouted, pointing toward the great blue beast, "Roar of Time!" The dragon of time opened its mouth, inhaling slightly before its voice penetrated through the barrier of sound, wrenching through the fabric of reality itself, as it soared toward Nathanael's Pokemon. The enemy's eyes widened slightly as both Tyrannitar and Aerodactyl were thrown backward, throw into the walls, the very concrete around him shattering violently upon impact.

This was going to be easy.

"Alright! Palkia, use—" Ka began, only to see Arcanine in the forefront of the battlefield momentarily after. It occurred to Ka at that very moment that the barriers once holding Tyrannitar and Aerodactyl's attacks had by then dissolved into nothing, leaving them vulnerable once more. Before Ka could order a command, Arcanine opened its great jaws, unleashing a torrent of flame into the air. The tongues of fire soared toward the Weezing. To Ka's terror, she watched as the fire soared over Shi and Ka, and into the numerous holes inside the creatures filled with flammable fumes that drifted over the Rocket grunts. Before Ka could do a thing, she watched as each of the Pokemon bubbled outward, only to explode. The grunts were caught in the inferno, boiling sludge searing their flesh until it melted away, fire ensnaring the multitudes of Rockets as they cried for their mothers in pain, assuming the force of the explosion itself had not wrenched apart their skulls.

The Arboks and Raticates screeched in the chaos, struggling to escape, only managing to tear each other to limb as they scratched at the walls, only for other Pokemon and humans to claw through them toward the concrete. Alas, all the mad mob did was kill each other faster. Before Ka's horrified eyes, the mob burned away behind them, leaving bloody corpses on the ground as a once proud army fell.

"Damn it!" Ka stammered, her voice weak and frail as she turned desperately toward Nathanael, her eyes wide. She had idolized this guy. The thought that she, at one point, thought he was cool sickened her to no end. This man was cruel, purely wicked and demonic. Was he grinning? Was the bastard grinning as he watched all these people die? Was he even—he was laughing, wasn't he? That sick, twisted little bastard! "GOD DAMN YOU! PALKIA, SPACIAL REND!" The beast slashed through the fabric of reality as his entire body glowed bright pink. The warp in time slammed against Arcanine's body, throwing it through the wall, and into the depths of the Earth. The crater remained deep, but Arcanine, to Ka's great horror, stirred. "Do it again. Do it again! Again!" Ka screamed as Palkia slashed through the air yet again, only this time to miss Arcanine entirely. Ka watched the dog rejoin his master's side as both Tyrannitar and Aerodactyl move up next to Nathanael.

So they didn't even take out any of his Pokemon.

He was still winning.

"God damn you! Palkia, do it aga—"

"Not quite," Nathanael laughed, "Magmortar, show their true colors!" Magmortar extended the cannon attached to his arm, the depths of the barrel radiating light as flames emerged from within. As Palkia drew back his glowing arm, a great ball of fire exploded outward, no, two balls. Each blast hit their target, Dialga and Palkia, only to dive into their bodies, and explode. To Ka's horror, the two Pokemon turned into pink balls of goo, splattering against the walls. They moaned one last time, their death moans audible and clear.

"Di…tto…"

"Not even real legendaries, huh?" Nathanael chuckled, arms folded across his chest, "I didn't think two children could harness the power of the beasts of space and time so easily anyway. So I take it that was all you had?"

Shi was the first one to move. "Dammit! Go, Blastoise!" Ka watched as the turtle with guns mounted on its shell rushed forward, firing great jets of water toward Arcanine. However, as the fire beast recoiled in fear, Machamp rushed forward, drawing its numerous fists backward.

"Charizard! Stop him now!" Ka snapped, the winged dragon flying forward from its Pokeball to attack. It opened its great jaws as a torrent of flames exploded from its mouth directly at the Machamp. The multi-armed beast threw its arms out to block the blast, his forearms taking up the majority of the burns as he was thrown off his feet. However, Charizard was left vulnerable to the great blast of energy from Tyrannitar's mouth, as Blastoise was vulnerable to Aerodactyl. Arcanine, swift as always, evaded the Hydro Pump, the jets of water helplessly shattering the Earth behind Nathanael. Both poor Pokemon were thrown against opposite walls, left to bleed against the ground as they tumbled downward, still and weak.

"Dammit! Go—" Shi was about to summon another Pokemon when Machamp emerged behind it, recovering from Charizard's flamethrower. As Ka watched, Shi was scooped up into the beast's arms, his frail arms twisted behind his back in the muscle-bound brute's powerful fingers. He cried out in pain as his shoulders cracked under the force, his eyes wide in his own agony. With Machamp's free arms, Shi was put into a headlock, the murderous glint in the Pokemon's eyes betraying his true desires.

Ka fell to her knees, staring in horror. No, Shi couldn't die. Who'd she be able to call idiot if that freak snapped his neck? Who'd she be able to humiliate whenever she needed to boost her own morale? Who'd she be able to take all her stress out on? Who'd she be able to hurt and never worry about driving away? Who'd she be able to show all facets of her personality to and never fear rejection? Who'd she be able to talk to about her concerns? Who'd she be able to long to kiss?

"Please, let him go," Ka stammered, her once haughty and high voice now a mere ghost of its former glory, frail and weak in the face of true danger, "Please, I beg you, don't hurt him."

Nathanael neared the redhead, a grin on his lips growing more evident with every step closer. "Well, tell me, do you love the boy?"

Did she love him? Was that what she felt? Did it really matter what she called it? A damn words wasn't going to do it justice, nor was it going to help Shi survive, was it? She stared at Nathanael, the color draining from her face. He was going to kill Shi just as he had killed everyone who had stood by Ka during this fight. She had boosted their morale just to die, hadn't she? She didn't think about all the lives it took to pave the road to success, but now that she thought about it, was it really worth letting all those people die for a little bit of spotlight? She had thought so before, but now, with the multitude of dead bodies littering the ground behind her, and Shi in the arms of a brute, she wasn't too sure.

All she knew was that Shi couldn't die.

She didn't want him to.

"Please, Nathanael, I'll do anything. Anything you want. Just let him live. Please? I beg you. I beg you." Ka fell down on all fours in front of Nathanael, unable to truly support her own weight as her knees trembled so violently she couldn't bear to stand upon them any longer.

Nathanael considered the offer, rolling it around in her head a little bit before smiling slightly. "I have one condition for you, Ka. Just one, though."

"Name it."

"I want you to take your clothing off."

Ka's eyes widened as her skin grew painfully cold. No, he couldn't want that, could he? He did, didn't he? He wanted her to strip, wanted to penetrate her—but he was so much older. She was just a fourteen year old girl. She wasn't ready for this sort of thing. Not yet, not ever. She couldn't handle this! But if she didn't, Shi was going to die. Was it worth it? Was it worth—

Ka removed her shirt in a hasty rush, her skin pale as she felt her decency and purity burn away, melting in the fires of lust and hell. Slowly, she drew down her trousers, feeling hot shame fill her face. She felt as though this were a nightmare, not reality. How could reality be so cruel, after all, to a girl? This never happened to people like her. This was what happened to other people, right? She stared up at Nathanael as he grinned. "Good. Now, you know what to do."

Ka didn't think of the physical actions that transpired as the seconds passed, nor did she truly long to think of them. All she knew, all she felt, were the foul emotions surging through her mind. She did not think of the pain, the agonizing pain her body underwent, but simply the shame. She felt disgusting, as though her body was slowly being filled with rancid sorts of juices that were flowing helplessly into her body. With every breath she drew, she inhaled toxic sludge, filthy muck that filled her insides, drowned her soul within its slimy grasp. She felt as though even her hair was rotting as it touched her foul, rancid skin. She didn't even want to face Shi, despite the fact that this was all for him.

It was all for you, Shi.

Did you see, Shi?

Did you?

Help.

Tears ran down her cheeks, as though the sludge inside her heart could no longer be contained from within and was now seeping out of her, crawling over her skin in the form of tears. It was all over now. She was on the ground, convulsing as blood ran down her naked legs. She wanted to cry, to sob on the ground, humiliated, exposed to the world as a filthy, rotten scoundrel. She was the scum of the Earth, no doubt. It was all her own fault, and she knew it. If she had just been stronger, better, then she'd be able to kill Nathanael, conquer him, make it so that Shi would never have to worry about dying or anything like that.

Ka glanced up at Nathanael, who smiled pleasantly, as though the deed, to him, had been simply a small delight on a rather calming, routine walk. "Much better. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Machamp, you know what to do." Ka glanced over at Shi, smiling slightly. It was all worth it, just seeing that look in his eye, that small, spineless, yet strangely strong—

Machamp snapped Shi's neck, leaving him facing backward as the beast left alongside Nathanael down the path of burned corpses.

Ka stared forward, unable to breathe. There he laid on the ground, staring straight into Ka's eyes. No matter how vulnerable Ka had made herself, his fate was sealed. He hadn't honored his promise. She watched as Shi stammered, her fingers twitching slightly. She crawled weakly toward him, her eyes wide as her joints trembled. She stared forward, her eyes wide in shock as stared down at him, unable to think. He was going to die. His neck was snapped around. She could even see the vertebrae in his neck twisted around, pulsing through his skin as his veins pulsated slowly, the last beats of his heart strained and forced.

"Ah—Ah—Ah—" Shi groaned, his voice hoarse and weak.

"Please, don't speak," Ka whispered, her voice barely audible through the tears running down her cheeks, "Hang on. I'll get help."

"Ah—Ah—Asuka."

Ka's eyes widened. She glanced down at the boy, as though seeing him for the first time in years. Who was he talking about? Who's name was Asuka? Slowly, his lips moved yet again. "Your—real name—is—is—Asuka Langley Sohryu," Shi groaned, weakly.

"No, it's Ka, isn't it?" Ka asked, afraid Shi had finally gone delirious.

"Do you remember anything before Tohjo Falls?" Shi mumbled, weakly.

"No, but I—"

"What's my name?" Shi asked, weakly. Ka stared at him, curiously, cocking her head, confused. "Please, what's my name?"

"It's—it's—" Slowly, new words formed in Ka's lips, despite there being no explanation as to why these words found themselves in her mouth as they did. She didn't understand what was going on as she said, very slowly, "It's stupid Shinji, isn't it?"

Shi nodded, weakly. "I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you. Do you remember our old world?"

"No."

"I thought if I didn't tell you what happened," Shi mumbled, clearly adjusting to his broken neck despite Ka noticing his pulse slowing every second, weakening with the passing moments, "I thought you wouldn't be miserable any more. I guess I screwed up again."

"No, no, there's still time. We can still go and—"

"I'm sorry."

The rest was silence.

#

The lack of explosions were what left Claude in the deepest corridors of fear. At his side stood his Swampert, the same Pokemon he had used against an Arcanine all those years ago. He was an aged fellow, but his sole Pokemon, strong enough to handle the fiercest of trainers. He never needed to capture another Pokemon, as none could stand before the great might of Swampert and survive.

At least, no one unaided by biochemical enhancements.

As Nathanael Butler entered the chamber from the depths of the shadows, Claude folded his hands behind his back, glaring straight at his opposition. He took several steps forward, his great beast at his side. Nathanael grinned, amused as he approached him. He looked like a hellhound from the fiery depths of hell, what with his tattered and worn appearance. However, save for the desperate glint in his eye, his face reflected none of his distressed appearance. "Nice to see you again, Claude."

"Likewise, Nathanael. I take it you're not here to give us a grant?" Claude knew Giovanni had reinforcements coming. Surely his supplies were limitless. He clearly had more people to help him than just a few thousand soldiers. He knew that wasn't enough to stop Nathanael, didn't he?

"No, not this time," Nathanael chuckled, amused, as he withdrew a single Pokeball from his pocket, tossing it up and down into the air, "You know, all those welcoming committees you put out for me really showed me a good time. I think they're having an after party in Hell, and they sent me over to deliver an invitation. Are you willing to accept?"

"Not at all. I have business to attend to," Claude replied, glancing at Swampert, "But don't let me hold you back. Have all the fun you want with Lucifer in the fiery pit!"

At the command of a single gesture, Swampert darted forward, fierce and violent as he roared, webbed claws outstretched. With a chuckle, Nathanael unleashed the beast from within his ball: Machamp. The four armed fiend grabbed Swampert's arms, throwing it into the ground, holding it against the floor with a look of vehemence on his face. Swampert opened its great jaws as a jet of water surged against Machamp's skull. The beast's head was knocked backward, almost snapping under the force, but he resisted, struggling to hold his head still. The seconds of struggling passed before Swampert twisted around on the ground, throwing Nathanael's Machamp against a nearby lap table, shattering it and the many devices in his wake. Sparks flew as Machamp slowly rose, glaring at Swampert, furiously.

"Now you've done it," Nathanael chuckled, pocketing the numerous devices he saw on the table in his long jacket, a grin on his lips, "You've gone and pissed him off."

Claude glanced around at the tables, wildly, hoping to find a weapon to stop Machamp. Just as he found a gun that fired syringes able to cause atrophy in muscles, the muscle bound hulk lunged toward Swampert, tackling him headlong in the solar plexus, knocking the wind and water out of the beast, both of which exploded through his open mouth as he was thrown through a test tube, life fluids flowing onto the two of them. Machamp threw Swampert across the room before he could somehow recover, his body flying straight into the table with the atrophy device on it.

Upon impact, it fired into his chest.

Claude watched in horror as Machamp closed in on his long time companion, who struggled to stand as his muscles turned to mush under his skin. He struggled to stand, but was little more than the hulk's punching bag, each blow sending the poor beast flying across the room. He slammed violently against the wall, shattering it in his wake, only for Machamp to leap into the hole, and throw the poor, broken monster through the wall yet again, against test tubes, and, finally through the door leading to the final chamber of the lab.

Claude's eyes widened as he darted into the room, desperate. At all costs, he couldn't let Nathanael into the room where the Ultimate Weapon resided. That was his duty as a Rocket Elite. However, there was a larger reason for his desperation. If that bastard entered that chamber, then all he had worked for, all the plans and dreams, all his hopes and aspirations, would die the moment his unholy aura touched the tube hidden behind the door behind that door.

Claude managed to enter the doorway when the bullet pierced his knee. He stumbled forward as pain unimaginable filled his leg. He screamed out, stumbling on his broken Swampert. The weak beast, though unable to stand himself, caught Claude in his hands. There was a look of pain in his eyes, a pleading look. Claude could not help but stare. The poor broken beast was praying for death to free it from its pain, praying for someone to put him out of his misery. It was all Claude's fault for this. Had he not volunteers for the head of this project, he wouldn't have developed this equipment that caused Swampert the pain he was undergoing. Had he not been so desperate, he would've never suggested making such horrible weaponry. Had he just fed Miyamoto against her will to keep her from starving to death, he would've never been desperate.

Was it worth it all?

Was it really?

"So now, isn't that a beautiful specimen," chuckled Nathanael as he approached the inner sanctum of the chamber. Machamp stood behind him. With one lazy arm, he grabbed Nathanael by the shoulder, throwing him against the wall. He screamed in pain as glass and metal pierced into his back as he slowly crumbled down the wall. His blood smeared the barrier of the room, but for every drop of blood he shed, Swampert bled fifteen times that much as Machamp crushed his skull under the impact of his fists. He pounded his head again and again until all that remained was a pile of bloody brain matter seeping through the cracks in a crater.

Claude saw it.

Every second of it.

"Well, that takes care of that mess," Nathanael mumbled dismissively as he glanced at the dead corpse of Claude's friend. "Machamp, let's—wait, never mind, we're here." Nathanael turned toward the great tube in the center of the room where the Ultimate Weapon resided, drifting in the pool of embryonic fluids. Its green and orange body was like something from outer space, a strange creation that was odder than any Pokemon Claude had ever seen, except for the one Miyamoto had pursued for weeks under the false belief she had found Mew.

Under the tube was the label "DEOXYS – THE ULTIMATE WEAPON."

"A genetically enhanced Deoxys," Nathanael chuckled, "Created by taking a virus and bombarding it with odd radiation, only you genetically altered the virus to make it more potent than ever. I believe it should be completed, right?"

Claude laughed as best he could. Nathanael glanced over at him, betraying a hint of fear at Claude's mad outburst, blood slowly oozing from his open mouth as he chuckled. "You're an idiot, you know that? Deoxys requires a fragment of the planet we found the virus from, and the only known remains are in Tohjo Falls. Go ahead and try getting it, but you'll never get it alone."

Nathanael chuckled as he pressed the numerous buttons by the computers near the tube. Slowly, it drained of fluid as Deoxys remained afloat, regardless that there was nothing left keeping it up in the water. Slowly, the creature's eyes opened up before it, staring at Nathanael with a look of undeniable reverence. Claude now regretted giving the creature the ability to regard the first creature it saw as its mother, for now it was absolutely devoted to a man with a heart more corrupt than even the foulest Muk's defecation.

"I am your father, Deoxys," Nathanael said, smiling, "I'm your daddy, remember?"

Slowly, Deoxys stared at Nathanael, almost in reverence, as the words echoed through the chamber. "Da…ddy…?"

"Yes, that's correct. Very good," Nathanael replied, chuckling, "Now, listen, can you get out of your shell?"

"Sh…ell…?"

"Yes. This contain—" Before Nathanael could even finish, the glass evaporated before him as Deoxys spread its arms out into the air, stretching for the first time as it emerged gently onto the ground before it, the gem in its chest, glowing brightly. That gem was the source of all its psychic power. If Nathanael could somehow destroy that shell now, then maybe he'd be able to save everyone.

No, it was impossible. Machamp was still looming over his head.

He had to keep them from hurting his deepest prize. He had to protect his treasure. He couldn't let them corrupt and destroy the single flower he had left upon this world. Once Nathanael glanced over at Claude, he knew the bastard knew he was hiding something. His grin revealed he believed him to be holding some weapon, no doubt. He was such a narrow minded individual, as though all men longed for guns to shoot the mighty down. "Deoxys, that man is named Claude. He's your enemy."

"En…e…my…?"

"Yes, now what is he hiding? Where's he hiding it?" Nathanael asked, only for Deoxys long, twisted arm to point directly at the hidden door, which cracked in an instant before bubbling outward, evaporating in an instant. There the tube remained in its full glory, his pride and joy drifting naked in her cybernetic uterus, remaining there for all to see, exposed before the eyes of a monster. However, his face fell, as though disappointed. "This is all? You mean you couldn't find a girl to make out with so you just decided to make some stupid broad up? What's this plate say?" He leaned toward the name plate at the bottom of the tube. "Miyamoto? Who's this? Some old girl friend?"

"Get away from her!" Claude somehow managed the power to stand up before Nathanael, a look of unrelenting hatred in his eyes as he lunged forward. Machamp, however, grabbed him by the shoulders, throwing him against the wall yet again. For an instant, he felt unimaginable pain, before all sensation left him, at least below his hips. He was numb, unable to even take a step as lower half settled into permanent paralysis. Nathanael chuckled as he withdrew his pistol, and pointed it toward Miyamoto's breast.

"No. Please, Nathanael, don't."

The bullet pierced through glass, flesh, and bone. Blood filled the life fluid as Miyamoto's restored body drifted off. After all those years of preserving her dead body, maintaining her genetic material for this very moment, after all the planning, a simple bang would render the last decade of his life utterly meaningless. Claude couldn't even muster the strength to cry. He could barely muster the strength to feel anything at all. Just the sensation of utter vacancy. He had no emotion beyond simply staring before him, unable to even breathe.

Nathanael glanced over at Nathanael, chuckling as he tossed the pistol into his lap. Turning toward Deoxys, he returned Machamp to his ball. "You know what to do with it. Enjoy the party in Hell for me, will you. I hope you say hello to your bitch Miyamoto while you're at it. Fair well, you bastard." There was a flash of light as both Deoxys and Nathanael disappeared.

Claude knew what to do.

After a single shot, Claude's brains had splattered against the walls.

#

"My God," Misty stammered, "We're too late."

The group had emerged in the lab, staring helplessly at the corpses littering the floor around them. Some of them were twisted in ways that defied logic, that were brutal and grotesque by all means. Some were so burned and mutilated they barely resembled humans at all, but rather a sort of decimated carnage that left all to tremble in their toes. To Misty, all it brought was a horde of tears. How dare any human being, even Rockets, suffer such a fate? They didn't deserve to suffer like this. If they had to die at all, why couldn't it be quick and painless? Their bodies were twisted and warped, some of them still twitching weakly on the ground as they gasped their last breaths before fading away from reality forever more.

"This isn't right," Surge stammered, staring at the carnage before him, the still steaming corpses now blackened and charred, "Even in war people don't do this. This wasn't a fight; it was a massacre. These people never even stood a chance."

"Look at the structural damage," Lance mumbled, "It looks as though he purposely aimed at flammable locations just to everyone would be torched alive, just so they'd suffer longer. What sort of heartless monster is Nathanael Butler?"

"The type who enjoys watching the pain of others," Sabrina said, simply, "He isn't doing this for the sake of defense; he's doing it just to prove he's stronger than they are."

Misty glanced over at Molly, who simply stared at a dead corpse, her eyes wide, her entire body trembling. What sort of damage would this do to a child, anyway? How many years of therapy would she need to go through to overcome the pain of seeing hell on Earth be unleashed in front of her? What sort of nightmare would she need to live through every day following this in the sanctuary of her own mind?

"You know, I don't see Shi or Ka anywhere," Jessie mumbled, "Not like we'd notice them."

"Shi? Ka?" Sabrina's eyes widened at that moment, and, in a second, she darted deeper into the fray. Misty ran after her, along with the others, as they delved deeper and deeper into the demolished environment. Shi and Ka, were those two the characters that lead them to Butch and Cassidy, where they killed—no, she mustn't think like that. They didn't kill those two; Butch and Cassidy lead themselves to their own demise. That was how it was. That's how it always was.

After many minutes of passing by burning debris (Misty thought of the dead bodies as debris, as it made her progression through the facility less painful), Misty entered a hallway almost devoid of everything. The group wandered down the hallway as Sabrina led. Soon, the smell of smoldering flesh became stronger as they neared charred flesh, and, to her shock, two figures. Sabrina ran to the duo, and, as Misty drew nearer, she realized that it was a naked Ka holding a broken Shi in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. A Charizard stood behind her, struggling to stand in pain as it laid near the girl, as though to comfort her. However, Misty soon realized there was no way this girl could be saved. The look in her eye was worse than the one in Molly's eye.

Molly had witnessed the world crumble apart.

Ka's world had crumbled apart.

"Ka! Ka! What happened here?" Jessie asked, urgently, shaking the fourteen year old girl. However, she didn't respond, simply staring at Shi.

"Shinji, you stupid idiot," she mumbled, weakly, "You need to speak up for yourself more often, ya know that?"

"Listen, Ka, we don't have much time," Lance said, catching on quickly, "Did Nathanael Butler pass by?" He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, gently stroking her arm, like a father to a daughter.

"Shinji, you're a complete dork, ya know that. Stop saying you're story and stand up for yourself, you idiot," was all Ka said, staring at the body in her arms as tears ran down her wide, unblinking eyes.

"There's nothing left," Surge replied, shaking his head, "She's completely lost it. Let's go."

"Nathanael Butler has left the building," Sabrina mumbled, "He's moving to the Tohjo Falls. If we hurry, we could catch him just before he opens a hole into the depths of the mountain range."

"Whadda we do about her?" Meowth asked, gesturing toward Ka.

"We can't just leave her here," Ash mumbled, staring at her with a look of absolute sympathy, his eyes watering slowly. Misty glanced over at him, falling into his arms. Maybe if he played the manly man he'd feel better. Maybe if he held the sobbing girlfriend as she shed tears, he'd be able to hold back his own tears. She so did hate seeing him cry, so why not kill two birds with one stone. She needed someone to hug her, to hold her, to tell her she wouldn't end up crying over his dead body the same way Ka was crying over Shi's.

"Shi, let's go home together, alright?" Ka mumbled, lovingly stroking Shi's cheek, "Let's die together, Shi. Come, please?"

"No, we can," Surge said, "If we bring her along, she'll be a liability. Besides, she's the enemy. Send some Indigo people to come and arrest her. We don't have time to stay here any longer."

"Arrest?" The others turned toward Ka as, for the first time, she acknowledged their presence. "You're going to take me away? Take me away from Shinji? No, you're not going to! He's my idiot! Go find your own!" Ka desperately clung to Shi's dead body as she backed away, dragging his dead corpse in her arms against her bosom, his feet pattering against the burned ground.

"Ka, come on, please come with us," Misty pleaded, backing off of Ash, teas streaming down her own cheeks. It didn't matter what Ka had done, nor what she could do in the future: no one deserved this. No human being deserved to suffer so greatly because of one man's wrath. This was unbridled pain, pain no human deserved to endure. The fact was, though, that Misty slowly began to realize, even if they brought Ka away from Shi's body, would she ever recover fully? Could she? Was it even fair for her to live after this anyway, or was she better off dead?

"Surge is right," Lance replied, "We need to arrest Ka later. Right now, our top priority is arresting Nathanael Butler."

Ka regarded them for a moment before glancing at her Charizard. After a few seconds of staring, the beast nodded, turning toward the group as he slowly approached them, frowning slightly. Ash nodded, a small smile on his lips as he asked, gently, "Do you want me to take care of him?" Ka nodded. "Alright. I'll return it to you the moment we beat Nathanael, okay?" Ka stared at him blankly as the group ran off, away from Ka, leaving her in absolute darkness as Lance called for the police to pick her up.

#

The police were on the scene minutes after the jet left the ground. They catalogued all the dead, which took little time considering that they all looked maimed or burned in some way. However, they found there were two people found in the chamber that suffered different fates than the others. In the innermost chamber of the lab, there was a man who had shot himself in the brain, who stood in a chamber where a woman in a test tube, probably a clone of some sort, laid in her own blood, her heart blown out by a bullet. The police at first suspected it was a double suicide, only when they noticed that the man had been beaten to a bloody pulp, implying that he had been violently attacked before the assailant murdered the woman in the tube and then drove the man to suicide. There was also a dead Swampert in the room which presumably belonged to the man.

The other odd incident was in the hallway leading to this chamber. All the bodies were burned to a crisp or clawed apart, save for two bodies. One had his neck twisted around, a young boy of about fourteen years old. However, it was the last figure that left every man in the force who saw it unsettled, so much so that they took several photographs of the corpse, with newspaper photographers swarming the body, no doubt finding the picture of the year.

It was a fourteen year old girl, completely naked. Her vagina had been torn violently, and blood ran freely down her thighs and calves to her toes. The blood had pooled up underneath her, as she was completely perpendicular to the ground when they found her. In fact, to be better said, she wasn't touching the ground at all. The noose around her neck was one sloppily prepared from the torn and twisted remains of the burned Rocket's shirts, including the attire of the boy who's neck had snapped. However, clearly she knew little about hanging, and the noose was far too short. When they discovered her, she had just died not of a broken neck as most hangings, but rather of a prolonged strangulation.

Had the police arrived even a few seconds sooner, they might have been able to save her.

But, alas, she was dead the moment they arrived.

Another nameless body in a mass graveyard.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 15**

In the stadium was where the feline genetic freak stood, drifting slightly above the ground as his nemesis appeared. Flanked by the girl Domino who he recognized from their last encounter, the broad shouldered head of Team Rocket stood proudly and confidently before him, stroking his pet Persian gently as he chuckled, no doubt bemused by this whole ordeal. Giovanni no doubt had no physical memory of Mewtwo after he wiped his mind clean of such memories. Nevertheless, it was undoubtedly clear that Giovanni knew WHAT Mewtwo was thanks to some of the henchmen he hadn't considered mind wiping. It was a mistake that cost him dearly.

After all, because of his sloppiness, he was partly to blame for all this horror.

"So, here I am," Giovanni chuckled, withdrawing his Pokeballs from inside his coat pocket, "I suppose you wish to challenge me, enigmatic invader? Or, perhaps it would be better to refer to you as Mewtwo."

"I see my you still know of my existence," Mewtwo replied, glaring at the man with a slight smirk on his lips.

"You failed to realize that many elites not present when I apparently tried to recapture you knew of your existence, and they informed me almost immediately. Due to myself having no knowledge of your appearance or anything about you, I fear you've had some time to roam free outside of my confines. Rest assured, your reappearance here has sealed your destiny, and, I'm sorry to say, you'll never be given an opportunity to walk out in the moonlight ever again."

"My destiny is uncertain as of now," Mewtwo replied, darkly, "I plan on deciding what will come by myself, without your help. People like you are nothing short of monsters. Your kind is more of an abomination than I am. Had it not been for virtuous people, I would've feared your entire race was a species of devils rather than people with moral values. Of course, when I refer to virtuous people, I naturally am not referring to the likes of you."

"Humans are run by greed and desire alone," Giovanni stated simply, "We want love, so when necessary, we'll simply reach out and ensnare joy. We want power, so we'll lose no sleep when we try to dominate and take away the light from those who long to reach it. When we want something hard enough, there is NOTHING we will not do to get it!"

"Only those with weak wills resort to such desperate methods."

"So my will is weak, is it?"

"Naturally."

"I see," Giovanni chuckled in amusement as he tossed his five Poke-balls out into the open. There stood Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Rhydon, Kangaskhan, and Honchkrow. The Persian at Giovanni's side stroked his own head alongside the man's thigh before running forward, staring at Mewtwo with a hungry glint in his eyes. The cloned pokemon chuckled as he stepped forward, throwing his arms out, dangerously. "I fear you've failed to realize the sort of man you're going up against."

"I can imagine it," Mewtwo replied, simply.

The Pokemon darted toward him at that instant, rushing toward the clone with a fierce expression in their eyes. Mewtwo felt reality twist and knot around him as he teleported, soaring through subspace as he emerged behind the beasts, a sphere of dark energy generated in his rounded fingertips. He threw the ball over his shoulder, the sphere slamming against Rhydon's back. He was thrown through the air, against the far wall. Surprisingly, the beast rose to his feet that instant, a look of livid fury in his eyes.

"So now you realize that your power isn't enough to one-hit kill my Pokemon, like you did with Frollo," Giovanni chuckled.

"I didn't expect to." Mewtwo threw his arms out as a great shockwave radiated through the air, the very ground crumbling away upon contact as he soared into the air. The Pokemon on the floor were thrown off the ground, and all but Honchkrow were thrown into the crater below. No, that bird soared upward, its broad body a formidable fiend as it collided head-on into Mewtwo's torso. Why hadn't he been able to block that in time? He doubled over, clutching his middle in mild discomfort. The attack hadn't been detrimental, but it had caused pain. Clearly Giovanni's Pokemon WERE mightier than most.

Relative to Mewtwo, however, that made him a rather irritating termite.

Mewtwo glanced over, grasping Honchkrow with his psychic power. She was frozen in pain as Mewtwo lazily swung his hand before his line of vision, throwing the helpless bird against the opposite wall, only to throw it back against another wall, doing the same thing again and again repeatedly. That is, of course, until poisonous spikes stabbed into Mewtwo's abdomen. He clutched himself as nausea consumed him. He hastily pulled the barbs out, grateful he hadn't been poisoned. Honchkrow fell helplessly to the ground once freed from Mewtwo's power, unconscious.

Nidoking and Nidoqueen fired their Poison Sting attacks yet again, only for Mewtwo to hide behind a psychic bubble, careful to avoid the damaging barbs. He was surprised how resourceful Giovanni's Pokemon were. Never before had he been truly hurt by another Pokemon, let alone hurt twice in the same battle. For the first time he felt fear consume him, a mild fear, though it was short lived.

It was revitalized once great bolts of lightning exploded from Nidoking and Nidoqueen's bodies.

"A Thunder attack?" Mewtwo stammered, teleporting safely out of the way, landing gently on the ground, charging a ball of shadow energy in his hands. Kangaskhan stomped on the ground hastily upon seeing Mewtwo appear. A great fissure cracked toward Mewtwo, opening up under his feet as everything trembled. Mewtwo steadied himself, but wasn't prepared for a great pillar of rock to shoot out from between his legs, slamming him into the sky so suddenly that the rock literally pinned him against the ceiling.

"There! Now do you see how futile your efforts truly are?" Giovanni chuckled.

"To stand up against a God, you truly are a mighty trainer," Mewtwo grunted, in pain, as a blue aura swirled around his body. With a sudden nod of his head, the rock pinning him crumbled away, tumbling down to the Earth. The rocks, however, seemed to target Giovanni's pokemon, flying sharply like comets into their bodies. Persian darted safely out of the line of fire, but Kangaskhan was trapped under the rocks, knocked into the fissure he himself had created, along with Rhydon. Mewtwo landed safely on the ground, but upon doing so, a drill burst from the ground as Rhydon emerged, fierce as ever.

So crushing him wouldn't work like with Kanghaskhan.

Rhydon rushed forward, horn extended toward Mewtwo's chest. Hastily, the psychic grabbed Rhydon by the horn, holding the spinning triangle still in place. It was preserved using pure psychic power, as the beast struggled against the force of the mind with its own forced of the body. Mewtwo grinned slightly as he felt Rhydon force all his strength into going against Mewtwo. It was a shame the target was being held back.

So Mewtwo released him.

Teleporting behind Rhydon, and indeed behind Nidoking and Nidoqueen, he watched Rhydon kick off of the ground, soaring out of control through the opposite wall, his drill shattering through the barriers between it and the outside. However, slamming through wall after wall after wall is a painful experience, and so, once it shattered through the outermost wall, it collapsed, unconscious.

Taking advantage of his situation, Mewtwo generated two balls of shadow, and threw them into the Nido-duo's spines. They were thrown against the walls, through the entire facility until they were lying unconscious next to Rhydon, unconscious. Mewtwo grinned. He found it peculiar how he was only fighting until the enemies were broken and asleep rather than to the death, as Frollo had intended to fight, or like how he had slain Frollo's Pokemon. Why was he being merciful to Giovanni?

Was it because, without him, Mewtwo wouldn't be alive?

Surely.

There was only one Pokemon left to handle. Mewtwo extended his hand, levitating the feline above the ground, the poor beast thrashing in horror and pain as the clone began to strangle it. Giovanni's eyes were widened in horror as he reached out, desperately, for Persian. "Mewtwo! Stand your ground! I admit my defeat and surrender to you. Just please don't hurt Persian!"

"You feel emotion? I thought a monster like you didn't care for slave like this Pokemon," Mewtwo said, smirking in amusement, "I thought I was created to obey you, that this cat isn't your equal at all. So why be so afraid I were to kill an expendable little cat like this, huh?"

"Domino, kill him," Giovanni mumbled after a second of hesitation. Domino withdrew a black tulip from her pocket, her forehead covered in sweat, only to have her arms roughly pulled behind her back as Lorelei emerged behind her, grinning. Before Giovanni could respond, a pair of mighty, powerful hands, the hands of Bruno, pulled his own arms behind his back, nearly dislocating his shoulders. "What is this!"

"You're being put under arrest under the authority of the Elite Four," Bruno replied, simply, "Mewtwo aided out efforts to capture you, Giovanni, thanks to some concrete evidence left behind by some of your henchmen."

"What? This is impossible! Ludicrous even. You have no other evidence, and besides, once I pay for a good lawyer—"

"Pay?" From the shadows emerged an older woman Mewtwo knew was named Agatha. She chuckled hoarsely as she approached them, amused. "Fuufuufuu, and how do you expect to pay for anything when you ran yourself bankrupt funding Team Rocket projects, hmmm? Not to mention we locked your money, so you can't afford a private lawyer. You'll need to use one of the public ones, and I daresay that none of them will be able to refute any of the years of evidence we gathered on you, Giovanni."

Mewtwo let Persian go. Surely this was a good enough punishment. Giovanni's life dreams were shattered. If he were to die, his suffering would end altogether. It was better than he remembered his pain rather than simply leave it altogether. As the two Elite Four members dragged the two last Rockets away, Mewtwo felt something in the distance. Something bad was in the works.

At that, he disappeared.

#

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Ash stammered.

"Calm down," Lance said, "Look, if we move too fast, we might overshoot the landing point and miss Tohjo Falls altogether. Besides, if Sabrina's right, they're still opening up a hole into the mountain range."

Before, it had taken then about ten minutes to reach Viridian City, only to find the place filled with death and ruin. Ka's broken eyes were still burned into the back of Ash's retinas. Even if they were members of Team Rocket, no human being deserved to suffer like that. He felt his fists clench as he realized what Nathanael could have done to Misty had he had his way with her. The very thought of it just sickened him. He never before wished death upon someone more than he did to that monster at that very moment. Was it wrong to want to see someone die, though? Probably. It wasn't a pleasant thought, nor was it any way satisfying to channel such a strong emotion toward an individual human.

In fact, it downright sickened him.

"Misty," Ash mumbled, glancing over at the girl to his side, "Is it bad that I'm really so angry? I mean, if we beat Nathanael, would killing him really help?"

"He needs to be killed," Surge answered for the girl, "If we don't, he'll just keep hurtin' people, and he'll enjoy it. I know his type."

"But we can't kill him," Misty stammered, "I couldn't put anyone to death. I don't think—don't think—" Misty's eyes watered slightly as she ran a hand across her face, unable to face the others. "What he did to the others is unforgivable, but I still couldn't kill him, even if I wanted to. There's got to be another solution."

"I'll kill him myself," Surge mumbled, "That'll keep you from dirtying your hands, so be grateful I'm doin' you a favor. Besides, it's his fault for Elle and Watson—and the gym—damn him!" Surge pounded the arm of his chair, frustrated, unable to channel his fury otherwise.

"I know of a better solution," Sabrina said, smirking slightly, "There's a place we can send him where every day will be worse than a nightmare courtesy of Darkrai."

"Whaddya mean?" Jessie asked, nervously.

"I'm going to send him straight to Hell," Sabrina said, simply.

Before anyone could ask her to elaborate, however, the pilot sharply turned the plane. Ash glanced out the window just in time to see a great sphere of energy soar directly toward them. The blast clipped the wing, flames soaring from the side as they went down, soaring toward the side of the mountain. He knew where the attack had come from, knew exactly where the attacker stood, and knew the face of their assailant.

"Nathanael!" Ash screamed as the plane flew toward the jagged cliffs.

"We're gonna die!" Meowth cried, latching onto Jessie and James's skulls. Molly stared horrified at the windows as she clung desperately to Misty, terrified.

"No, no we're not," Lance snapped, withdrawing a Pokeball, "Alright everyone, hold on tight!"

"To what?" Ash stammered, only to see Lance's ball explode to life. There, before their very eyes, was a Dragonaire, a graceful creature, curled around the chamber. The trainers grabbed onto its neck, clinging to dear life as the beast opened its mouth, firing a hole through the hull of the plane. Lance hopped onto the head of the beast, glancing at the pilot. However, to Ash's shock, the cockpit had already ejected, meaning they were all along on the plane. The Dragonaire soared out of the doomed aircraft as it slammed headlong into the rocky cliffs, exploding on contact in a great ball of fire.

Ash glanced up as he struggled to hold onto the smooth flesh of the dragon as he watched a jet of energy soar toward the ejected pilot, ensnaring him in an instant until only ash remained.

"Hey, that guy was completely defenseless!" James stammered, "Why did he—stupid question."

The Dragonaire soared toward the other side of the mountain. It hastily spun out of the way of a jet of energy, the trainers clinging for dear life on its body swung around as it dove out of the way. Lance's cape flapped as he soared toward the attacker, the Tyrannitar on the ground, fearsomely standing beside Nathanael and his six fiendish Pokemon.

"Wait, six?" stammered Surge, "Rhyperior is dead, so who's that other one?"

Ash glanced down at Nathanael, trying to make out the Pokemon. There was Tyrannitar, an Aerodactly, a Magmortar, an Arcanine, a Machamp, and then there was that last Pokemon, hunched over what could only be described as a hole in the air, almost like a vortex, sparks soaring from what Ash assumed was its own creation. Though the fact that the pokemon had literally opened a rift in space was something to be startled about, Ash was more concerned about the identity of the Pokemon. It was so familiar, orange and green looking, such an oddly shaped—

"That's a Deoxys!" Ash stammered.

"Deoxys?" James and Jessie stammered.

"Wait, what's that?" Misty asked, confused.

"That's not a mere Deoxys," Sabrina mumbled, "That's the byproduct of nearly a decade of research. That Pokemon is on par with Mewtwo in power, and it's not even complete yet."

"What do you—ARGH!" Surge screamed as Dragonaire jerked out of the way of two great jets of energy, twisting itself hastily around the blasts. Ash watched as Jessie lost her grip, and tumbled off of the beast. James, however, wrapped his legs around her waist, hoisting her up to the dragon yet again. The two flushed dark red as James helped Jessie reassure her grip in mid air, the thrashing Dragonaire barely to reach the ground below, allowing the trainers to let go of their savior dragon Pokemon.

Nathanael regarded the newcomers with a look of utter terror and fury in his eyes, yet the rest of his face looked just as relaxed and nonchalant as possible. "So, you finally made it to the party? Good."

"Alright, Nathanael, get ready to pay for all the bad things you've done," Ash snapped, pointing at the man as Pikachu spun onto the ground, dizzy from yet another ride. In Ash's hands was a pokeball containing Ka's Charizard. That girl had suffered more than any human ought to thanks to that monster, and now it was time for her own Pokemon to wreak vengeance upon him. He threw the ball, freeing Charizard, a beast that roared out fire before it as he glared at the villain standing only a football field away.

"How threatening," Nathanael chuckled, "Well, I suppose I'll—"

"Everyone back away," Lance mumbled, taking a few steps forward, Dragonaire dancing behind him, "I'll handle him. You can all serve as back-up."

"You don't think you can fight him on your own, can you?" Sabrina asked, incredulously.

"I'm the head of the Elite Four. I am the strongest Pokemon Trainer in all of Kanto. I assure you that, if any single trainer can crush Nathanael Butler, it's me," Lance said, walking forward as he unleashed all his Pokemon from their balls: a scarlet Gyarados, a Garchomp, a Salamence, and, finally, a powerful, almighty Dragonite. He stood before Nathanael with a look of wrathful fury in his eyes as he darted forward, his Pokemon flying directly at Nathanael.

"Too late, fool!" laughed Nathanael as Deoxys abandoned the wide open vortex that sparkled and shone through the air as he emerged before Lance. The fiendish Pokemon glared at Lance and his legion with a look of utter hatred.

"You…hurt…da…ddy…" the creature uttered as best it could, its arms unraveling into a quartet of thin tendrils, intersecting together to generate a sphere of psychic energy, "Die!" It threw the ball forward, the sphere flying at Garchomp. It was thrown aside into the mountain. Ash watched in horror as the rock around it literally melted away as Garchomp was thrown into the air, only for the poor creature to land in the distance, twitching weakly.

"Garchomp!" Lance stammered, "Gyarados! Hyper Beam! Salamence, Dragon Rage!" The two beats rose into the air, drawing their heads backwards before firing jets of energy at the Deoxys. Its body changed as it thickened, its arms flattening into flipper-like structures held out before it, blocking the blasts as it tore into a psychic field. Ash watched as the field bubbled inward, the blasts colliding into the flesh. The matter melted away as the blasts exploded outward, leaving Deoxys armless.

As Dragonaire dove in for the kill, its horn pointed outward as it too charged up a Hyper Beam, at point blank Deoxys unleashed a jet of energy from the jewel in its chest, a jet that collided into Dragonaire's mouth, the beam from within exploding outward! Ash watched the poor dragon's body bubble outward before imploding, leaving a broken Dragonaire on the ground coughing up its own blood, weakly.

The genetically created Pokemon's flesh twisted around, stretching outward as its flipper-like appendages regrew. So, as with the other Deoxys Ash had encountered, this genetic creation could regenerate. Deoxys glanced up at the Gyarados and Salamence before its body grew more streamlined, returning to its attack position, as it slashed its new tendrils through the air. Psychic whips lashed through the air, striking both offending Pokemon across the face as they were thrown against the stone. The tendrils extended sharply, wrapping themselves around the two Pokemon's throats before bashing them into the ground repeatedly, their jaws held tightly shut so they'd be unable to fire.

"Dragonite! Free them!" Lance snapped, only for Dragonite to soar directly into Deoxys, tearing straight through its shoulder, its arm torn off. Deoxys' grip on Salamence weakened, giving the beast ample time to fire a great jet of energy into Deoxys's skull, ripping it apart until only ashes remained. Dragonite darted toward Nathanael, a grin on the trainer's face, as Tyrannitar dove in the way, firing a Hyper Beam. Lance's strongest Pokemon, however, only regarded the blast mildly as it spun out of the way. Ash watched as Tyrannitar's own attack collided into Deoxys's back, the poor creature being thrown into the sky from the blast as it tore straight through his body, searing his flesh until only the gem on its chest remained.

The gem landed with a sizzling thud on the ground, the very ground burning around it. That was far too easy. Deoxys had returned before when all that remained was that jewel. He knew it wasn't dead, just dormant. Surely Lance was about to finish Nathanael off, so they'd be able to keep it from regenerating.

However, the next sight to meet Ash's eyes was Tyrannitar tackling Dragonite, holding it against the ground as it fired a Hyper Beam point blank at the beast's skull! Ash watched in horror as the very earth melted beneath them. At the bottom of the crater formed under the impact, Dragonite remained, bleeding from the forehead, unable to move, yet clearly not dead. Tyrannitar drew back its head to finish the job when the red Gyarados returned, wrapping Tyrannitar in its serpentine body, holding it up in the air as the great monster opened its fierce jaws, energy burning to life from within its throat.

It was then that Aerodactly bit into Gyarados's neck, cracking through its shells as it crunched down onto his neck. Gyarados misfired the blast into the sky as Aerodactyl roughly threw the serpent through the air, against the mountain, the poor red Gyarados bleeding red blood. Salamence was all that remained, a dragon alone on the battle field as Nathanael's other monsters loomed overhead. Lance could only stare in horror.

"Salamence! Hyper Beam them all!" Lance snapped. As Salamence fired the first beam, however, Ash's attention was drawn toward the crystal. It was right near Molly's feet, and, if Ash didn't know any better, it looked like it was glowing bright emerald. He dove toward Molly to pull her away, but it was too late. It exploded to life in a nova of green. Molly was thrown into the air, over the edge of the mountain, and fell down into oblivion.

"Molly!"

Ash watched as Molly fell, but then something happened that he never expected. There was a great form that dove through the shadows of the mountains. Before Molly hit the ground, it emerged beneath her, saving her from the rocks below. The others turned around to see a great scarlet dog emerge above the depths of the cliffs, a beast with a golden star across his face, a great might that roared to the zenith of Heaven at the top of its lungs, like a hell hound unleashed from the depths of darkness, finally relishing in its freedom.

"Is that Entei?" Ash stammered, staring in horror as Molly slowly came to on Entei's back, her eyes wide in shock.

"Didn't Shi and Ka mention they were tracking Entei down on Tohjo Falls?" James asked Jessie, curiously.

"Guess they didn't make that up," Jessie mumbled, in awe.

Molly's eyes widened in awe as she stared into the glorious beast she now sat on, her entire body trembling in awe as the great dog's fine coat of hair danced in the gentle breeze. "Oh my God. This is—I mean—It's like last time. Are you here to help me?" The great dog of fire nodded, hastily. "I don't understand, why?"

"They say Entei's find those with pure hearts, like Suicune, but unlike Suicune, often times an Entei will seek out those who have been hurt by the wrath of others. You, I take it, fit that description pretty well," Sabrina said, "And best a legendary comes to help us now. Deoxys is regenerating."

Indeed, it was. The emerald energy was knotting around itself, a torso with limbs forming as the streamlined Deoxys returned to life, turning hastily toward Salamence, who was parrying each of Nathanael's Pokemon with its own attacks, firing against each Hyper Beam fired at it. Hastily the humanoid monster extended his hand, only for a sphere of great flame to surge straight into the freak's back, Entei's attack charring away the Deoxys' very arm.

In retort, Deoxys swiped away Entei with a lazy push of the air. The Entei stood his ground, only barely, and darted toward the freak yet again, bashing his skull against the crystal inside of the clone's chest, throwing Deoxys through the air as it landed, to Molly's horror, feet from Salamence. No one could stop Deoxys as it fired, point blank, an unrelenting torrent of psychic energy, throwing the poor dragon high into the mountains above it, literally melting stone as it forced the beast higher up the range. Finally, Deoxys relented, allowing Salamence to tumble down the mountain side, landing at Lance's feet after several minutes of rolling, beaten at last.

Lance fell to his knees, staring in horror at Deoxys's might. Sabrina neared him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder as she passed by. "I warned you, didn't I? I told you that you wouldn't be able to stop him on your own. You need our help. You need the help of friends to defeat someone without friends. That much I know all too well." Sabrina glanced over at Ash and Misty, grinning almost in an ironic sense before turning back to Nathanael Butler, still bemused, "I know words aren't going to sway you, so I won't bother with the formalities. Just rest assured you'll never win."

"Win? I've already won," Nathanael chuckled as the vortex opened to its peak, sparks soaring from the open hole in the air. With a laugh on his lips, Nathanael stepped into the hole in the air, disappearing within its grasp. His partners dove into the hole, all at once, as Deoxys dove toward it, drifting gently, its arms folded over his chest, as he went through the portal. Slowly, it began to close. Jessie, James, and Meowth were the first at its side, wrapping their fingers around its edges, despite being virtually intangible, as they pried the inter-dimensional rift open wide enough, keeping it dilated for others to follow into it.

"Okay, how're they doing that?" Misty stammered.

"The hole has become physical." Ash turned around to see Mewtwo emerge from thin air, fashionably late. "They're able to hold it open because Deoxys no longer seems to care enough to maintain absolute control over the hole. However, it is trying to close."

"Where does this thing lead to?" Surge asked, concerned.

"It leads to the center of the Tohjo Falls," Sabrina replied, "Right above a Magma chamber. It's sealed off by a thin layer of stone, but the entire area is deadly. Team Rocket mined it for material before, but Nathanael is planning on undergoing what it takes twenty men and several times more Pokemon by himself. It's suicide, but if he succeeds, he'll be unstoppable."

"We need to follow him," Molly said, forcefully.

"We'll keep this thing open for ya's, just hurry up!" Meowth cried as he struggled to keep the vortex dilated.

"Give Nathanael a good punch in the gut for us, alright?" Jessie snapped.

"Don't worry. We will," Ash said, a determined note in his voice. Ash felt a hand wrap around his own. He glanced over his shoulder at Misty, who stared at him, a soft frown on her lips. He didn't understand exactly what was going on right now, but he knew Misty was frightened. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly, before turning toward the vortex, taking a step through it as Team Rocket held it open for them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 16**

Before Ash's eyes was what could only be described as Hell.

The great cavity before them was, for the most part, dark empty. The only source of light in the chamber were the great pools of lava that sizzled below, springing to life every few moments as magma sprayed into the air, drifting in the oxygen for a moment as all the stone around it burst to flames, until all that remained were but charred ashes in the wind. What Ash could see within the brilliant lanterns of light in the darkness were thousands of columns of rock. They could be described as stalks of stone, the tops plateaus large enough to fit half a dozen parked buses crammed on one after another, until not even an inch was between them.

"Oh my God, it's so hot in here," Misty sighed, wiping the sweat off of her brow, "I don't see Nathanael anywhere."

"Maybe he fell into the magma pools," Molly suggested, optimistically.

"He's not dumb enough to fall for something like that," Surge mumbled, "Besides, I wanna snap his spine myself, got it? I finish him off. I won't let some stupid molten rock take away my revenge, ya hear me?"

"You needn't worry, Surge. Our enemy is alive and well," Sabrina said, her face tense and all-focused as she limped forward. Ash noticed her hands caressing her shoulder, tenderly, only to withdraw it to reveal blood in her hands. Was she injured? She didn't look like she had been cut recently, so maybe Frollo had hurt her earlier? His eyes narrowed tensely as he clenched his fists. Even though Nathanael Butler was their only remaining target, he was no doubt the worst person Ash had ever confronted. Never had he ever faced a villain more black hearted and foul than him. It was funny how the final battle between them would take place in the world he felt Butler would find himself in upon his death: Hell.

But could Ash really kill?

Could he?

"Let's go," Sabrina said, walking off the ledge of the cliff as she and everyone with her, Ash included, began to levitate above the ground. Pikachu clung to Ash's leg, shivering in terror. The poor creature had NOT had good traveling experiences during this little adventure of theirs. Sabrina turned toward the others, extremely tense. "The problem everyone has had with fighting this man so far is that Nathanael's Pokemon have fought against everyone as a team. I think that if Shi and Ka had divided Nathanael's team up, they would've won. As a team, they're unbeatable. However, if we fight them one at a time, all our Pokemon against one of his, we have a chance of winning. Additionally, we fight to the death."

"To the death!" Ash stammered, eyes wide, "We can't just kill his Pokemon!"

"Why not?" Mewtwo asked, "This is a war, Ash. This is not a Pokemon battle. This isn't a battle, nor do we have much choice in the matter now. These Pokemon have committed cold-blooded murder, just like their master. They were not tricked or manipulated, or forced to do bad things because their master said so. These Pokemon are pure evil. Believe me: I could sense it. They are just as cruel as the man who commands them. They are evil angels to an evil God, and don't forget it. He is the enemy, and the only way to win is to utterly annihilate him."

Ash considered this for a moment, but before he could put much thought into it, a great ball of fire soared toward them. Entei, Molly sitting on his great mane, leapt to the forefront of the pack, drawing his head back as energy swirled around in his great jaws. A jet of flame surged from his own mouth, colliding headlong into the fireball. The two flames struggled against one another for a moment before exploding, the numerous plateaus torn to ash in the process. There, in the distance, standing on his great Aerodactyl's back, was Nathanael, his tattered coat flapping in the gentle breeze of the cavity. Beneath his great monster's wings were his minions, Tyrannitar, Arcanine, Magmortar, and Machamp. Behind Nathanael stood his greatest lieutenant, Deoxys, the almighty Ultimate Weapon, still incomplete.

"Alright, we attack now!" Mewtwo snapped, drawing his hand back as a sphere of shadow emerged between his fingers. He threw the sphere toward the enemy, at which Aerodactyl drew back. The other four Pokemon scattered before the blast exploded to life. The sphere tore the plateaus where the enemy Pokemon had momentarily stood. Sabrina flew forward, her two Pokeballs orbiting her body as they burst to life, Kadabra and Haunter at her side, levitating along with her. She soared toward Arcanine, the nearest to her, as Kadabra fired a wave of multi-colored rings toward the dog, a Psybeam. The fiery beast was disoriented by the waves, landing on a plateau, only for their fight to begin. Molly gave her Entei a kick, and the two leapt toward Magmortar, tackling the beast in the stomack, slamming it against a plateau several dozen yards away, pinning its body into its bulk, the rock melting on contact. Surge took a running start, Pokeball in hand, as he leapt forward, landing his feet on the nearest plateau below him, just as Machamp landed before him, cracking his knuckles. Raichu emerged from Surge's hip as he glared at his opposition, smirking. Mewtwo, however, teleported forward, behind Nathanael and before Deoxys, extending his hand to the genetic creation's face. There was a great flash of light as the creature was propelled by invisible energy backward, thrown through the air, into numerous plateaus, no doubt surviving the crash straight through each stalk of stone. Mewtwo disappeared, appearing far in the distance behind Deoxys's soaring form, stopping it in midair before engaging it in combat.

Ash glanced at Misty, then at Pikachu, and then at Ka's Charizard, smirking. He darted toward Misty, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her onto Charizard's back. "Hang on, Misty!" Ash snapped, hastily, smiling slightly as Misty's lithe arms wrapped themselves his hips. Ignoring the pleasurable lurch in his body as he felt her form press against his, he kicked the side of the Charizard's neck as it kicked off the ground, soaring toward Nathanael as he stood on his Aerodactyl. His eyes were wide, almost fearful, as he glanced down at Tyrannitar. The great armored monster opened his mouth as did Aerodactyl, firing Hyper Beam at the enemy. The Charizard danced out of the line of fire, firing a jet of flame at the enemy Aerodactly. The winged beast rolled out of the way as Tyrannitar pursued the Charizard from the plateaus, leaping from surface to surface in great bounds uncharacteristic of such a heavy brute.

Pikachu leapt up onto Ash's shoulder, squeezing his cheeks as a great jolt of energy soared toward the Tyrannitar. Predictably, however, the jolt of energy did nothing to the Tyrannitar's rock-hard hide. Misty glanced over at Ash, and said, hastily, "Drop me off here. You need Charizard to take down Aerodactyl. Believe me: Pikachu can't do a thing to Tyrannitar, but I can."

Ash regarded her silently for a few seconds as Charizard pursued his prey, only to nod. "Alright, I trust you! Good luck, Misty." Ash scouted a nearby plateau, lowering beside it for a moment as Misty kicked off of Charizard's tail, landing on the surface heavily. Ash couldn't deny he felt a little empty and vacant as Misty's warm body abandoned his own, but he had no time to think about that sort of thing. In an instant, he was off after Nathanael, firing blasts of fire as Aerodactyl rolled out of the line of fire.

#

Misty stared down at Tyrannitar as she firmly squeezed two of her Poke Balls. She tossed them forward as the great Tyrannitar landed on the plateau, dark shadows cast across its evil face. Staryu and Gyarados emerged from their spherical prisons as they glared at their enemy, who drew his head back as a great mass of energy surged in his mouth. Staryu spun toward it, spinning fast enough to shatter rocks underneath it, as Gyarados parried the Hyper Beam with its own Hyper Beam. Sparks flew upon impact as Tyrannitar's blast slowed its progression, but never stopped. Staryu slashed across its middle in passing, making the beast stumble, but never lose its focus on the attack. The momentum of the attack caused Staryu to rebound, slamming straight into Tyrannitar's back. Despite visibly being knocked forward, Tyrannitar failed to be distracted.

Its Hyper Beam slammed into Gyarados's mouth, knocking it into the ground, beaten in an instant.

"Uh, right," Misty stammered, staring at Tyrannitar as it slammed the back of its hand against Staryu, knocking it to the ground as though it were merely an irritating little bother. It stomped down on Staryu repeatedly as it was down, its body trembling, the gem in its center blinking weakly. She needed to save it. Hastily, she withdrew Corsola, the pink Pokemon emerging from its ball with a terrified expression on its face. "Water Gun!"

A jet of water exploded from Corsola's mouth, slamming against Tyrannitar's chest. The creature stumbled backward as agonizing water seeped through its surface, knocking him a few feet back. Next, the little creature fired jets of bubbles against the weakened shell, cracking the surface a little as Tyrannitar stumbled back further, closer to the edge. Staryu, in any case, was relatively free of its prison, and was slowly rising to its feet, albeit drooping dramatically. "Staryu, Hydro Pump! Do it now!"

Staryu pointed its top point toward Tyrannitar, albeit weakly, and fired. The jet propelled Tyrannitar off its feet, into the air, and off toward the edge of the plateau. It tumbled over the edge, falling down, down, and down until it hit the bottom, smashing into the ground. Misty punched the air in triumph. She recalled Staryu as she looked down with Corsola at the wreckage below. "One down, and—" She began, but stopped as she saw Tyrannitar rise to his feet from far below, leaping against a nearby column only to kick back and forth until it was level with Misty, no, above her head as the beast landed with a heavy slam behind her, rising up hastily to glare at its opposition.

"Never mind."

#

The jet of flame nearly scorched Sabrina's face as both Haunter and Kadabra stared down at their canine opponent. The two were firing blasts of spectral and psychic energy, Kadabra focused and determined as Haunter laughed, bemused by the whole thing. Arcanine glared fiercely at its foes, carefully mapping out ways to destroy them. The dog was smart, not a brute like some of his partners, but no doubt an intelligent beast.

A worthy match for an opponent like Sabrina.

Flames exploded from the dog's open jaws, flames that soared toward Kadabra like a torrent of hellfire. However, the woman only grinned as Kadabra did was he was best at. "Confusion," Sabrina ordered in her dark, fearsome voice. The flames of fire morphed before Kadabra into the form of a great serpentine monstrosity soaring into the air, a dragon attacking the monster. Arcanine leapt out of the line of fire as the Dragon came hurtling down upon him like a comet. The resonating explosion was great, but neither Sabrina or her legion of Pokemon needed to shield their eyes.

"Let's go," Sabrina said, levitating into the air as her two Pokemon drifted at her side. There on the neighboring plateau was Arcanine, glaring up at them, no doubt also using the attack glare. If he was, it had little affect on the jubilant Haunter or Kadabra, or Sabrina for that matter as she was psychically linked to Kadabra. However, she felt mild exhaustion. She had gone on the offense, just as Arcanine had anticipated, no, expected. They had used too much energy too soon. They needed to be defensive like Arcanine.

If Arcanine leapt into the air, he'd have no footing on the ground.

He'd be in their absolute power.

Arcanine waited down below on the plateau, looking expectantly at the psychic trainer as he waited, patiently for her to attack. After several seconds of waiting, he fired a great jet of energy, a jet that soared into the air, straight at Sabrina. Kadabra was about to control it, only for Sabrina to notice a sudden shift in the blast as it coiled itself around the group. Kadabra was about to harness its strength when, to her absolute shock, the blast exploded outward! The flames surged inward as Sabrina teleported the entire trio out of the line of fire, and upon the nearest plateau. The nova of light filled up the darkness, blinding the trio in the process. When they could see once again, Arcanine had leapt over, and had pounced Sabrina, paws on her throat, a heavy weight forcing itself against her body.

Had the light not blinded them, Sabrina might have been able to stop the beast.

Kadabra stared almost helplessly at the situation, before feeling his own body pressed down on the ground, clutching at its own throat. Like Frollo and his own Pokemon, Sabrina was psychically linked to Kadabra. Though Sabrina had trained her mind not to feel the pain Kadabra underwent, rarely did Sabrina ever suffer similar injuries to Kadabra, and so the Pokemon never saw a real reason to develop immunity from Sabrina's day-to-day injuries. She wondered, momentarily, if Kadabra had felt the pain she felt from the bullet wounds from before, wounds that Arcanine now noticed, that he raised his paw above, ready to slash them open wider than ever before.

"Haunter!" Haunter laughed, approaching Arcanine, a grin on his lips, as waves of hypnotic energy surged out of its open palms. The waves rushed against Arcanine's face before he could resist. Sabrina watched with jubilation as the beast stumbled to the side, eyes drooping slightly as it struggled to remain awake. With one last grin, Haunter lunged toward Arcanine, his mouth wide open as he passed through Arcanine, in his great purple jaws what could only be described as a shade of the proud canine. With a quick crunch, Haunter ripped through the flesh of the spectral dog, ripping its head off as the crushed, torn body tumbled weakly in a pile on the ground. Arcanine's body grew rigid, his eyes widening in horror, as infinite nightmares and night terrors filled his mind. He howled in horror as he stumbled around, unable to focus, before nearing the edge of the ledge, still asleep in actuality. Sabrina watched, with mild delight, as the intelligent hound of Hell tumbled off the ledge, falling further and further down until it smashed down on the ground, head first. Even from this distance, Sabrina could see the Pokemon's skull splattered across the ground, its disconnected jaw bouncing away, broken.

Dream Eater was such a brutally terrifying attack.

#

Mewtwo's fiery aura swirled wildly around him as he soared after Deoxys, balls of shadow in his hand. The spheres soared at Deoxys, who simply flattened his arms, swiping them aside as they tore through numerous columns around them, before transforming yet again into a streamlined creature, speeding past Mewtwo. Once behind him, his body changed yet again, his tendril arms stretching out from behind, wrapping themselves around Mewtwo's neck, squeezing tightly as nigh unlimited psychic energy swirled out of the new creature's body into the old psychic clone's. He felt agonizing pain in his mind, as though somehow he was being disemboweled alive.

And yet Mewtwo knew just like with all illusions it was all within the confines of his head.

Mewtwo reached behind his head, grabbing the genetic freak by the skull, before he threw the genetic demon into the nearest rock column. Mewtwo soared toward Deoxys, spinning around as he slammed his tail into Deoxys's skull, smashing it further into the rock. He spun upright, reaching into the crater, grasping Deoxys by the throat, before swinging the creature through rock, through stone, and out of the column, skimming him across the sides of the numerous columns until he hit the ground, skidding across that before coming to a sudden halt.

For a moment, Mewtwo rested.

Only for a moment.

Not nearly enough.

Deoxys appeared before Mewtwo's eyes in a sudden blur of motion, slamming its skull into Mewtwo's cranium. As the creature staggered backward, bleeding from between the eyes, Deoxys' tendril arms wrapped themselves around Mewtwo's foot, swinging him around like a ragdoll. With the power of his mind, Mewtwo unleashed a hellish torrent of psychic energy against Deoxys, blowing him backward without his arms. However, as the alien's worthless arms tumbled to Earth, dead and powerless, Mewtwo was thrown against the column, back and back through each stone tablet in the air, leaving a running crater behind him before finally catching himself on the thirteenth column, his head spinning, his body in great pain.

He took a second to recover, his minor regenerative abilities from Recover aiding him in healing from the impact of each blow. Despite that, his minor abilities paled in comparison to Deoxys' regenerative abilities. Once Deoxys returned before him, unrelenting and monstrous, his arms were already regrowing before his eyes, as though they had never been injured at all. This creature was truly the greatest, most powerful Pokemon ever to be seen by mankind. Mewtwo, with all his great might, could barely leave a dent in his skin that lasted for more than a nanosecond. Just what as this creature's weakness, if one even existed.

Deoxys glared at Mewtwo, a hateful expression in his eyes, as he drifted nearer, his tendrils wriggling through the air before extending around the Pokemon's throat, squeezing the air out of him as it pushed him against the wall behind him. "You…pay…for…hurt…ing…dad…dy…!" This creature was sentient? Mewtwo believed it to be simply a mindless force of unrelenting power, but it made sense that, if it had psychic powers, it had a mind of some sort powering it. Surely, though, this creature was genetically manipulated to obey its master, maybe with imprinting. Surely, a simple trick like that was why Deoxys obeyed his leader without a second thought but Mewtwo, the imperfect first son, disobeyed the father.

Either that, or Mewtwo was imply a cruel, paranoid monster.

One of the two.

Mewtwo drew his feet up to his chest before kicking outward, straight into the jewel on his chest. He watched as the gem tore straight out of his back, toppling backward as its owner released its victim, tumbling downward before turning to ash. For a moment, Mewtwo thought he had won, before the gem radiated green as Deoxys' new body emerged from the crystal. So, clearly, the crystal was the heart of this beast. If Mewtwo destroyed the gem, the heart, the soul of the beast, then he destroyed Deoxys.

The problem was how to destroy it?

#

Molly sat on Entei's back, hastily staring ahead as Magmortar fired fireball after fireball at them. The great dog of flames, however, simply dodged and weaved around the blasts, the fire flying worthlessly around against the plateaus and ceiling behind them. She couldn't help but smile for the first time in what felt like an eternity, even though it probably was only a few hours. After all the shock and horror these past few days, riding on Entei once again reminded her of the potential a person could reach.

She remembered that day years ago, the day when she had harnessed the power of the Unown, and created one of these beasts from imagination. She wondered if Entei could sense that Molly had invented one of their kind from thought and imagination years ago, and felt almost a kinship with her. Regardless of the whys and hows, riding on the back of Entei was now a dream come true. She wondered, momentarily, whether or not she could capture Entei once this was all over, take him along with her on her own journey to become a gym leader. Surely they'd let her be a gym leader if she tamed an Entei!

Magmortar's mighty fire balls, no matter how fearsome they were, and they were fearsome, as a single impact severed a single standing column right down the center, leaving it blasted to fragments, the pathetic creature couldn't hurt a legendary beast like Entei! Molly felt invincible riding on the creature's back, a grin on her cherubic face as she shouted, at the top of her mighty lungs, "Entei! Use Fire Blast!" A great cross of flame exploded from Entei's mouth as it roared at the top of its lungs, soaring at Magmortar. The Pokemon leapt anxiously to the nearest plateau as the great wave of fire tore through the column he was standing on, then the next, the next after that, and on for as far as the eye could see.

Such awesome power.

All in Molly's hands.

Nathanael was toast.

Molly grinned as Entei landed on a nearby column wall, defying gravity as he scaled alongside the side of the column like a spider, before leaping from the stone stand as Magmortar fired at him, blasting the column to shreds. Entei landed the fire ball firing Pokemon, glaring straight into his eyes as he neared him, backing Magmortar toward the edge. The mighty magma beast pointed his gun point blank at Entei's face, and fired. Entei was knocked backward, but stood his ground, barely even bleeding. Magmortar's eyes widened in visible terror as Entei walked closer, livid.

Molly noticed they were boiling hot. Right below them was a magma pit. She felt heat over come her as sweat ran down her body. She felt fit to pass out, but they couldn't back down now. If Entei could fight, so could she. Magmortar stared in horror as, once again, he pointed his gun at the beast again. Molly noticed how the ground under Magmortar's feet seemed to sizzle, almost boil. He was generating such great body heat the rocks themselves were starting to melt. He was almost at the edge, and rocks were melting over a large sea of molten rock.

Molly grinned.

"Entei! Use Eruption!" Molly shouted, as best she could. She needed to get away from this magma pit. Entei nodded, as though he could understand Molly's thoughts, as he leapt away, landing on a distant plateau, before he roared at the top of his lungs. The magma pit below Magmortar boiled up before bursting up into the air. The stone column melted below Magmortar's feet as the Pokemon stumbled backward. He struggled to aim for one last shot, but, alas, could do nothing but tumble into the oncoming jet of magma that enveloped the poor Magmortar. Molly could hear it scream in pain as it was smothered in lava, but that was not what tore the creature apart before Molly's eyes. No, that was the force of the lava rushing up into the air, and Entei's finishing blast of flame that slammed into Magmortar's remained, reducing the remaining shreds of flesh into pure ash.

Entei leapt away before the splattering lava could touch Molly's skin, burning the columns of rock, searing and boiling the stone behind them. There was one dead monster now. The others could deal with these other light weight Gods. Only a God could challenge another omnipotent God, and if two Gods fought again one, no doubt the odds would sway in their favor dramatically.

It was time to help Mewtwo fight Deoxys.

#

Surge evaded the punches as they came from all angles, Machamp's lips curled into a sinister, wicked grin. He remembered before, how this creature had snapped his arm. He remembered a special trick for fixing arms back in the army, and he had ignored the pain with every punch he delivered all this time, but now just thinking about this Pokemon reminded of the unbelievable pain in his forearm, and that pain made Surge smile if even a bit in glee, in bloodlust, as he imagined seeing this Pokemon die.

Raichu leapt up into the air, slamming down against Machamp's chest, squeezing his cheeks as bolts of electricity surged throughout his body. Machamp snarled in pain as he grabbed Raichu by the tail, swinging Raichu headlong against the rocks, the very stone shattering under the force of impact. The poor Raichu screamed in pain as Surge saw an ample opportunity to uppercut Machamp right across the chin. He staggered backward, stunned by the force of the punch, before Raichu pulled down with his tail, sparks surging up the Machamp's entire body.

As Machamp rose to his feet, Surge grinned, opening up a new Pokeball on his hip. There was a flash of light that filled the airs. As the light faded away, Machamp found himself staring eye-to-eye with a great yellow Electabuzz, a beast that glared straight into Machamp before Thunder Punching him straight across the face. Machamp staggered backward as Electabuzz delivered a second mighty lightning-charged jab. As Electabuzz delivered an uppercut into the golem's throat, Surge released a second Electabuzz, a beast that darted toward Machamp, grabbing Machamp's two free hands as Electabuzz delivered a mighty blow to the enemy's lip, drawing blood.

Bleeding was lethal.

Machamp's arms may have been restrained, but his feet were still free, which he employed as he slammed his heel into the attacking Pokemon's solar plexus, smashing him backward. The Electabuzz gasped for air as Machamp elbowed the other Electabuzz in the face. To Surge's horror, Machamp grabbed both Pokemon in each hand, and raised it above his head! There was no time. Surge opened up the ball at his hip, freeing Rotom and two Magneton from their balls. The magnetic creatures spun on each side of Machamp, sparks soaring like a net from all angles, sparkling across the creature's skin. The creature struggled to ignore the pain, but could not ignore the sensation of Rotom running headlong into Machamp's body, only to release a great wave of energy, an explosion of electricity that surged through his vessels, almost frying the damned creature.

It was a shame he didn't die just then.

Machamp did not fall, but rather staggered backward, tumbling through the net of electricity set up by the Magneton. He stumbled, almost losing balance, but he stood erect still. He was near the edge of the cliff, two Electabuzz held like potatoes in his hands. He could easily tumble downward, couldn't he? If he only stumbled, ever so slightly, he'd lose balance and plummet to his death.

The two beasts saw the opportunity, and took it.

The yellow juggernauts stomped down against Machamp's skull as they attempted to leap away, but the powerful body builder grabbed both of their ankles before they could get away. Surge ran toward Machamp, drawing back his fist to stop the monster from doing what Surge knew he was about to do, but he wasn't quick enough. Machamp threw both monsters over the edge, their bodies tumbling down and down into the darkness, crying out for help every second. Before they hit the bottom, the screams died away rather suddenly, as if they knew screaming would do nothing.

It did nothing.

Surge's punch connected with Machamp, as did the second and third. The fourth landed in Machamp's open palm as he prepared to snap the metal rods that held Surge's broken arm together, metal rods he had installed himself. Before the pokemon could tear the ligaments in the soldier's arm, Raichu had delivered a punch to Machamp's face, a punch sparkling with electricity. The blow landed directly in the beast's eye, the white splattering outward as he screamed in pain, his paw digging into his skull. As Raichu withdrew his blood soaked fist, Machamp clawed at his face, crying in pain as he literally began, in his sudden confusion, to peal the flesh off the side of his own face.

Fitting fate for a fool.

Magneton one and two drew nearer, but the body builder grabbed them both by the omega shaped magnets, his own hands frying in the process as he held the electric Pokemon out before him like iron knuckles. He swung each Magneton fiercely through the air, sparks lapping against the rock, ripping the ground apart, fissures forming in the ground in wake of each blow. Each punch, however, was too wide, and both Raichu and Surge could effortlessly dodge them. Surge could see Machamp's knuckles literally begin to crumble into ashes as he swung repeatedly, the intensity of the blows growing more intense with each attack. A bolt of electricity surged by Surge's cheek, drawing blood, slashing open his very flesh.

It didn't even touch him, and he was bleeding.

Machamp punched down into the ground, the entire ground below their feet crumbling apart. Surge watched as the ground between himself and Raichu tore apart, the two separated by numerous fissures. He reached out for the mouse, but Machamp found his way between the two of them, the two Magneton still clutched in his fearsome, grotesquely mangled hands. Raichu dodged the first punch, the second, but the third pinned Raichu to the ground as the magnet collided into his Adam's apple, the arms of the artificial appendage jabbing into the rock, locking his neck as the jaw of the creature remained stuck. He struggled to escape, yet couldn't. He was stuck there, until Magneton was freed.

Machamp raised his other fist above his head, ready to finish Raichu off, when Magneton's body started to glow bright white. Before Machamp could respond, the Pokemon tore itself apart, its body exploding in a nova of light as Machamp's entire arm was ripped to shreds, the flesh torn off the bone as the marrow blackened into ash, cracking and crumbling away into nothing. In his pain, the surviving Magneton sent bolts of electricity into the hand that held it down against Raichu's throat. Machamp could barely even scream as his other arm was ripped apart. The once four armed beast was now left with two appendages, and neither held onto a Magneton.

The remaining Magneton glanced meaningfully at Surge, and Surge stared back, wide eyed. His troops were willing to die for him, knowing they'd fall in the line of duty, all for the sake of victory. They were true soldiers at heart, and Surge could tell just by the look three eyes without a face gave him in that sole instant. Surge lowered his head, eyes wide, yet resigned, as he stared back at the battlefield, helpless to do anything else.

Magneton rose out of the ground, freeing Raichu, who gasped for air desperately. The levitating Pokemon flew into Machamp's chest, hitting it with an impact that audibly shattered the ribs Electabuzz had damaged earlier. As the body building beast gagged on its own blood, Magneton drew back for a second impact, flying directly for Machamp's heart. Before impact, though, Machamp grabbed each magnet it could, holding it away from the vital organ. Bolts of electricity surged through the enemy's body, but he remained steadfast, ready to throw the magnet away into the distance. As he prepared to throw the hammer, Magneton's body began to glow bright white. Before Machamp could even release the magnets, which Surge and the Pokemon realized was now impossible to do considering that the electricity had magnetically and physically fused Machamp's flesh to the magnetic poles, the poor Magneton exploded apart in an array of light. Machamp screamed in pain as his last two upper appendages were torn asunder, leaving an armless brute stumbling backward, screaming in agonizing pain as his maimed body bled profusely over the ground.

And yet he did not fall.

Raichu leapt over the fissures until he was at Surge's side. Machamp glared at Surge, his single remaining eye wide and mad as blood ran over his bloody chest. He sprinted toward Surge, leaping over the cracks in the path as he ran headlong at Surge. Both Raichu and Surge knew of only one thing to do: dodge. They drew away from Machamp's line of fire, the creature unable to stop itself as it dashed headlong toward the edge of the plateau, eye wide as he stumbled off the edge of the cliff, eyes wide. Surge felt, for an instant, that this was it, that the fight had ended, but then heard the sound of rocks splintering apart below them. He glanced over the ledge of the column, along with Raichu, as he witnessed Machamp literally digging his feet into the scale of the column as he fell, nailing himself with his legs to the post. He stood strong as he took a step upward, defying gravity as he attempted to rejoin the battle. His determination to battle was almost visible to Surge.

Shame it had to end.

"Raichu, use Thunder. Aim it straight for his skull."

The bolt surged downward, hitting its target: the open and exposed eye socket. The bolts swirled within the poor beast's brains, screwing the brain tissue up, frying it violently until all that remained was nothing. Machamp's head began to boil seconds after the shock ended, bubbling outward before exploding like a wet watermelon, leaving a headless beast dangling by his feet against the side of the column. There he remained, dangling pathetically, even in death refusing to fall.

#

Ash stared forward on Charizard's back. There before him was Aerodactyl, the darn defender of Nathanael Butler, the one who had caused all this hell. He ignored the explosions around them, the screams of pain and horror that swirled around his ears. If he were to see the violence, to hear that his friends were in pain, he'd be unable to single mindedly focus on this soul objective: crush Nathanael, and beat his Aerodactyl.

It was when he heard Misty's voice that he turned in fear over his shoulder.

There, below them, Misty was standing at the edge of the cliff. Corsola was at her side, spraying its powerful bubble beam into Tyrannitar's chest, but to no avail. The hard shell simply blocked the attacks, allowing them to just roll off his chest, as though they were but tiny little punches delivered by a cockroach: irritations, nothing more. Tyrannitar drew his mouth back, energy swirling around in his mouth.

Nathanael was in Ash's line of fire.

Misty was in Nathanael's line.

Without thinking, Ash mad a choice.

"Charizard, turn around!" Ash snapped as he pulled against the horns on the dragon's skull. He swirled away from Nathanael, soared directly toward Tyrannitar, as he drew his head forward, ready to fire straight into Misty's chest. Charizard slammed headlong against Tyrannitar, scooping him into his arms as he raised the shelled beast into the air. Ash felt brave for the first few seconds, but not before Tyrannitar turned toward Ash, ready to fire an all-powerful jet of energy point blank at Ash's skull.

"Politoed! Use Hydro Pump!"

A jet of water surged from below, slamming into Tyrannitar's skull, knocking his head off to the side. Ash watched as the dreaded Hyper Beam soared past Charizard's shoulder, drawing blood despite not even making contact with the dragon's hide, as the beast was thrown off. Tyrannitar remained airborne as Ash' noticed Charizard's bleeding neck. He cried out in pain, rolling in the air. Ash and Pikachu clung to his collar as they watched the jet soar forward, straight into Aerodactyl's unguarded left wing. The blast slammed headlong through the joint of the wing. The skin pealed apart as the bone was disconnected entirely from the stony beast. He shrieked in pain as he landed headlong into a column, Nathanael being caterpolted into the ground, weakly bouncing onto the surface.

As Tyrannitar fell onto a column beneath him, the entire structure trembling under his great weight, Ash turned to face Misty, standing on the face of the plateau, Politoed and Corsola at her side, smirking up at Ash as Charizard regained control, his wings flaring out as Ash laughed. Misty was safe. She wasn't going to die, she'd live! She was going to live! "Man, you get worried WAY too easily," laughed Misty at Ash's concern.

"Sorry for being careful."

Ash turned toward Tyrannitar, seeing the beast rise to his full height, roaring fiercely up at Charizard. Aerodactyl too rose to a semi-standing position, lifting its only usable wing as the two beasts fired twin Hyper Beams at Charizard. He shot down like a bullet, his wings tucked toward his body as he free fell downward, avoiding the blasts as they trailed after him, slicing the rock columns around him in two like samurai swords cutting through bamboo. The rocks tumbled down behind him, hitting other stone, causing a chain collapse behind as Charizard suddenly shot up into the air, wings outstretched, his mouth full of flame. He fired the blast at Aerodactyl, the beast opening his mouth for a Hyper Beam. The flames hit his skull head on, knocking him backward, off the ledge of the plateau, away from Nathanael. As the great Pokemon tumbled off the ledge of the column, Ash saw the inside of his mouth glow brilliant white as Hyper Beam mixed with an absolutely colossal amount of flame. Before hitting the ground, there was a great flash of light as a jet of energy surged into the air, through the ceiling of the chamber, and into the outside air!

Aerodactyl was extinct.

#

Mewtwo stared at Deoxys, the unflinching monster he had beaten to a pulp again and again with each blow, and yet kept returning for more. He could sense the beast weakening with each blow, even if slightly, and now both warriors were gasping for oxygen, even the mouthless Deoxys. Mewtwo's entire body was smeared in purple blood as he felt a dark purple aura of fire swirl around him yet again. Even if his body would give out on him, he swore he'd send that freak to the eternal fires of Hell!

He fired a volley of psychic spheres of energy at Deoxys, his body expanding into his defensive form, his flat paddle-shaped limbs blocking the majority of the onslaught of power, but the attacks still left him riddled with holes, holes that instantly were filled as he regenerated almost immediately. With a swing of each paddle arm, an invisible wave of force surged through the air, slamming against Mewtwo's face, snapping his head around as he spun through the air, blood running down his forehead further more. He caught himself against a nearby column before Deoxys, now streamlined and mighty, flew at Mewtwo with the speed of light flying into the singularity of a black hole, slamming against Mewtwo's chest with a supernatural impact.

As Mewtwo coughed on his own blood, Deoxys glanced up at his face, his eyes filled with delight.

A sphere of flame flew through the air, directly at Deoxys. The genetic freak turned to look at the fire, but was thrown off his feet upon impact as the force threw him through the air, against a column in the distance. It exploded on contact, but the fire was not done yet. It shot further into the depths of darkness, bursting into a nova in the distance, columns literally reduced to ash before them. Mewtwo turned in time to see Entei land inches from his head, a girl named Molly Hale resting on his back.

She extended her hand.

He accepted it.

As Molly helped pry him out of the rock, Deoxys emerged from the smoke, a his head lowered. He was in his original form, his tendrils now hands as he slowly drifted toward them. Mewtwo observed the creature's head was lowered, almost as though in resignation. For a moment, Mewtwo felt as though the creature had admitted defeat, threw in the towel, but then the clone felt the truth grow apparent before him, his eyes widening in terror as he backed away.

"What's wrong?" Molly asked, confused, as she glanced at Deoxys, "The two of us can beat him easy, right?"

"No," Mewtwo snarled, eyes widened in terror, "He's got it. He's retrieved it." It was there in his hands, as Molly soon saw as she turned to face Deoxys. There was the unique mineral required for Deoxys to reach his maximum potential. He couldn't let Deoxys reach completion. He drew his hand back before throwing it out, a great wave of psychic energy surging toward him. Though the wave of energy washed over him, the freak disappeared into subspace, disappearing from sight.

"Come! Quickly!" Mewtwo snapped, soaring into the air despite the rock columns being reduced to ash before him. Entei darted up the scale of the building, his cloud-like back floating behind him like a tail. As they both crested over the column, there they found Deoxys, standing at Nathanael's lonely side, completely unguarded. His only companion, save for the freak, was Tyrannitar, now roaring for help from his far point in the distance. Ash stood on Ka's Charizard, Misty sitting at his side with her two Pokemon, along with Ash's Pikachu on his shoulder. Below them, Surge and Raichu hopped from plateau to plateau, nearing the enemy with increasingly intense hatred. Sabrina drifted over, Kadabra and Haunter at her side, her arms stretched out as her hair danced in the winds created by her fierce aura, her eyes glowing dark white, hatred and bloodlust etched into every fiber of her being.

Nathanael was scared until he saw the material in Deoxys' hands.

Then he simply smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a rather good run so far, and I admit, you've put up a good fight, but I'm afraid that all you've done is just kill the Pawns in a rather clever game of Chess. And now it is CHECKMATE!" Nathanael began to laugh as Deoxys plunged the stone into the gem in his chest. Mewtwo threw his arms over his face as light exploded from Deoxys, enveloping all in its grasp, be it Ash and Misty on their Charizard, Sabrina, who tried to escape, Surge who stared in awe at its glory, Molly who screamed in terror, or even Mewtwo, who was ensnared in the power of Deoxys.

Checkmate.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 17**

Ash opened his eyes very suddenly. He was sitting in a hospital bed, the sun shinning through a mirror to his left. He rose up, groggily, Pikachu at his side, glancing around as though he had just awoken in Narnia. Indeed, Ash too was confused. This didn't look a thing like those caverns. Where was Deoxys? Or Nathanael? Or even the Tyrannitar standing over the magma pits? Just where the hell was he, in any case? This didn't look like anywhere he'd been before.

Nurse Joy appeared before him, smiling gently as she bowed slightly before Ash, much to the trainer's, and Pikachu's, confusion. "Glad to see you're awake, Pokemon Master," Joy said with a smile, her round face dimpling adorably as she did so.

"Pokemon Master?" Ash repeated, confused.

"Guess the title hasn't settled in quite yet," Joy giggled, bringing a cart around Ash's bed filled with his Poke Balls, "I know that battle yesterday was intense, but beating the Kanto AND Johto Elite Four in the same day probably was exhausting. I've never seen anyone stand up to them quite like that before without really needing to rest. You're one strong trainer."

Had the whole thing with Nathanael just been a dream? It seemed to real to be something like that. He glanced away, eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists tightly. Maybe he should just take what he was hearing for granted, but something sounded too fishy here. He KNEW he had been fighting Nathanael, so just what was going on here, anyway?

"Would you like to come to the ceremony, Pokemon Master?" Joy asked, helping Ash into a sitting position.

"Uh, sure," Ash replied, uncertainly.

#

"Oh my God, is that Misty?"

"How did she get so beautiful?"

"Oh my God! Misty, I love you! Would you like to bare my children? MISTY!"

The orange haired girl stood on top of the high dive, smiling broadly as the words floated into her ears. All that praise, all that admiration, all for her. As she leapt down toward the water below, she felt loving, beautiful air lap around her, spiraling like a tornado around her skin. Her impact was gentle, a slight splash as she dived into the depths of her beloved water, Dewgongs and Seakings floating at her sides. She giggled as best she could underwater before rising on the top of Gyarados's head, being raised above the audience, high above, the group cheering as she ascended.

And yet Ash wasn't amongst the people.

And that saddened her.

#

Sabrina stared out before her. Ash, Misty, Lt. Surge, and Molly Hale were imprisoned in translucent psychic coffins drifting in the air. The Pokemon too were ensnared in the same sort of energy that composed the boxes, swirling around their heads in a sickening light. Nathanael Butler was the cause of all this, but his Deoxys had them all trapped in their dream worlds. Sabrina turned toward the Ultimate Weapon, now in his final stage of development. His once sleek and lithe body was now massive, easily over nine feet tall. The gem which had once been reserved for a cavity in his chest was now a circuitry that ran throughout his entire body, glowing brightly as he breathed in and out. Spikes composed of that enigmatic dark material jetted out of his shoulder blades, giving him a fierce, demonic appearance to blend with his alien exterior.

A pure freak.

Deoxys flexed each of his fingers, one at a time, as he glanced around. The only Pokemon free of the coffins were Sabrina's two creatures, Mewtwo, and Tyrannitar, and one of them was NOT on their side. Nathanael Butler laughed in amusement as he turned toward both Sabrina and Mewtwo. "I'm afraid it's the end of the line for you all. Those coffins you see before you are showing them all their deepest dreams, showing them pleasures beyond, no, that can only be imagined. They're just victims of their own minds. They will sleep forever in slumber land, unless, of course, I happen to kill them."

"Lay a finger on them and you will die!" Mewtwo snapped, generating a sphere of psychic energy. Deoxyx glanced at the sphere, only for it to begin to bubble out ward within Mewtwo's very hands. Before the clone could resist, Mewtwo's very own attack radiated outward, ensnaring him in his own energy. He was thrown into a nearby column, his body cracking through stone upon impact. Deoxys levitated above the air, vanishing from view, before appearing before Mewtwo, slamming his palm against his chest, forcing him deeper into the stone, the poor clone gagging on his own blood.

Sabrina drifted forward, prepared to defend the Pokemon, when Tyrannitar emerged, roaring loudly as he pried off a stone from his column, and threw it at Kadabra. The stone froze in midair and fell down to the ground, but that didn't stop Tyrannitar from leaping forward, smashing his shoulders into Kadabra's skull. The two slammed into another column, Kadabra's head bashing against the back of the structure. The monstrous Pokemon in its green shell clung to the walls of the column as he swung himself against the psychic, slamming the sole of his foot against Kadabra's chest repeatedly, shattering its poor ribs.

Haunter glared at the beast, soaring straight for it, a sphere of darkness within its own two disembodied hands. The ghost fired the blast at the Tyrannitar's head, slamming into it, knocking it over. However, it clung to the rock wall, and remained standing despite Haunter phasing through it, turning back for a second attack. As the shadow ball emerged in Haunter's hands, Tyrannitar drew back his head, and fired his signature: Hyper Beam. The blast slammed headlong into Haunter, blowing it away as it screamed in pain. As Haunter fell toward Earth, defeated, Sabrina returned the poor creature to its ball, sighing as she did so.

"We're doomed, unless they can wake up on their own," Sabrina mumbled, desperately.

#

"I would like to thank you all for coming today," Ash said, smiling bashfully before the group of people gathered to stare at him, to honor him. It was impossible to say he wasn't a tad nervous at the prospect of public speaking, but, alas, he swallowed his fear and continued, "Uh, it's very hard to do what I did—" Even though he didn't remember how he beat both Elite Fours, "—but it's something I've longed to do for a very, VERY long time. I remember as a kid wanting to do this so badly, and, well, now that I did, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do next."

Why wasn't Misty amongst the other people in the stands? Did he recognize anyone here? Where was Brock, or May, or Max, or Dawn? Snapp? Todd? Tracey? Professor Oak? Mom? Misty? Where was everyone? Who were these people? Did they appreciate the struggle he had to go up against to reach the zenith of all Pokemon trainers? Did they even remotely understand this sort of challenge? What had happened? What sort of madness occurred where Ash was physically able to defeat the Elite Four? The Elite Four were not push-overs!

Something was very, VERY wrong.

#

"Misty, can you sign this for me?"

"Certainly," Misty replied with a giggle, writing her signature on one of the numerous pads set out for her. She was, after all, the most sensational of the Sensational Sisters.

No, wait, that didn't sound right. Didn't her sisters think she was the runt of the pack? Why was everything so odd? Why did it feel off? She should take some time to enjoy this, after all. She was popular, beloved, the most beautiful of her sisters. She should relish in the instant, smile brightly as she progressed forward, a grin on her lips and a laugh in her heart. Why was it that when she just remembered her sisters' over confidence and ego that she had to lose her sense of joy and relish in the moment?

Why wasn't Ash here?

Wait, wasn't there someone trying to eliminate her gym, her sense of happiness? What was his name? Nathanael something, right? Whatever happened to him, anyway? Was he still around? Surely he was, surely he was still out there. She didn't remember defeating him, just as she didn't remember how she had arrived on that high dive before, or how she had become so popular in the first place.

Who were these people? Why were they all staring at her so happily, smiling so brightly? She cringed away from them, eyes wide with terror as she glanced at every person, each one laughing with a grin that would fit the face of a smiling ghoul, a fiend from Hell, all laughing and cheering her own, their cheers too frightening for her to handle. She inched away, staring at each of them in turn, eyes wide, still managing to walk forward, but more in a terrified jog.

Where was Ash?

#

A volley of psychic spheres swirled around Mewtwo, orbiting him like comets in temporary orbit around a planet. A protective bubble came to life around Mewtwo, a sphere that was popped effortlessly by the torrent of energy, a sphere that failed to protect Mewtwo from the majority of the assault, an assault that ripped open his steaming flesh as he screamed to high heaven. He gasped for life, for air, before Deoxys appeared above him again, his cold, alien eyes glaring down at him. Mewtwo's eyes widened in fear for a moment before Deoxys extended his hand, his fingers and skin unraveling as a multitude of tendrils exploded outward, ensnaring the clone, wrapping themselves around his body, constricting him tightly as the seconds passed, squeezing his neck and bones as Deoxys attempted to snap his body like a twig.

All Sabrina could do was watch from a distance, distracted by her own struggles with Tyrannitar, a Pokemon hell-bent on slaying the psychic trainer. Kadabra glared forward at Tyrannitar, struggling to manipulate the heavy Pokemon. However, as Sabrina realized, Tyrannitar was too heavy for the spoon wielding Pokemon to move. He was exhausted, his energy near depletion. Being beaten to a pulp and then recovering could do that. He needed time to rest, a little time to breathe. Tyrannitar was refusing to let him have that chance.

There was only one hope for them. Sabrina turned toward Kadabra, and shouted, "Break the coffins, Kadabra!" The psychic pokemon nodded, and directed his spoon toward Molly Hale's coffin, resting upon the stunned, hypnotized Entei. Tyrannitar roared as he dove toward the psychic, tacking him headlong after leaping from a column half a football field away. However, the deed was done. The coffin cracked slightly before exploding outward in a nova of light, the little girl freed once more from her prison. She rose slightly, gasping for air as Entei stirred, released from the prison of his own mind.

Kadabra, sadly, was down for the count.

Sabrina returned Kadabra to his ball before drifting backward, avoiding Tyrannitar as he lunged toward her. The beast landed on the column behind her. The psychic rose up higher as she turned toward the others. Surge was injured, but he had the die-hard determined nature they required. Sabrina focused on the coffin, and images flashed through her head: the gym erected high up above their heads, stretching into the heavens, Surge smirking as his legion of men stood at his side, staring out at legions of thugs they crushed, Surge, the honored hero.

The coffin shattered, and the images died away.

Surge rose, Raichu on his shoulder, as they glared at Nathanael Butler, the enemy's eyes widening in horror. "No! This can't be happening!" he snapped as Surge leapt over, hopping from column to column as he neared Nathanael, the man's eyes wide as he backed away, slowly. Sabrina grinned inwardly as she turned toward the last two trainers, ready to free them, when Tyrannitar dove onto her. She felt the bullet hole in her shoulder sear outward in pain as Tyrannitar pinned her down, his great weight and strength drawing blood as it forced great pressure onto her injury. The psychic strength in her mind was being channeled into Tyrannitar, forcing his head away so he couldn't fire a point blank Hyper Beam at her face, some of it struggling to tear his claws away from her limbs. So far, she succeeded, but she was fully consumed by her objective.

Ash and Misty were still trapped.

#

"Can I see the battle where I beat the Elite Four?" Ash asked, desperately, at the faceless woman before him. Ash felt fear consume him. After doubting everything, he came to several peculiar discoveries. The most noteworthy was that no one had any faces. It was not like their heads were gone, as they were still present. Rather, it was simply that their heads were blank slates, eyes covered over with skin, noses nonexistent, their lips fused so all that remained were mannequin heads, nothing more.

The other thing was that he knew no one.

"I'm af—af—af—afraiii~~iiiid you cannoooo~~ooooot," the woman said, her voice slowing down and accelerating in odd intervals, like the audio from a broken VHS tape in a damaged VCR, "We—we—testing, 1-2-3—are unable to regiSTAAAAA~~~AAARRRRR your video at the proper—proper—improper timings. Please returnee whens you've happened across the white rabbit in the holes of my URANUS! Thank you for shop—shopp—shopping with Captain Planet. Thank you, good bye-bye." The woman's head slumped over as she collapsed on the table, apparently either unconscious or dead.

Ash was too stunned by the display to really respond. "What the hell is going on here!" Ash stammered, glancing every way as people began giggling profusely, laughing amongst themselves as what could only be described as bat wings exploded from every person's hips, beating the air as they twirled around in circles, arms stretched out into the air like rag-dolls, lifeless and nonsensical.

"Pika-pi?" Pikachu stammered, hiding behind Ash's ankle in a terrified fashion.

"This isn't real," Ash stammered, "Am I just dreaming? Real things don't happen like this, right?" Surely this was just a dream. Then, he remembered. That light! The light that exploded out of Deoxys! This had to be just a huge illusion brought on by Deoxys! Yes, that was it! They were still in that chamber all alone with the others. This whole world was just one big nightmare!

"And if this is my nightmare," Ash shouted, "THEN I WANT MISTY!"

#

At the sound of that voice, Misty turned on her feet, glancing around in the dark chamber. That sounded like Ash. In fact, Misty knew it was Ash. No voice in this entire world sounded so distinct, so vivid, so powerful. It was this voice that Misty heard over all the sounds in the universe here, as though it was the only real sound. The only thing that truly existed.

There was light before, light coming from Deoxys. The genetic freak had inserted that mineral into his gem. Maybe all of this wasn't reality, but just a great big illusion brought on by the psychic pokemon? Maybe this was just a nightmare, yes, as nothing made sense around here when you truly started thinking about it. It was all an illusion, hollow and fake.

Ash's voice, however, was real.

"Is he also stuck in the illusion?" Misty pondered as she darted out of her dark room, pulling open the door only to find great large curtains spilling from the ceiling. She hastily pushed them aside, running through the infinite expanse of fabric barriers, her body twisting out of the way, ducking down and forward, large bangles banging against her head as she struggled to free herself, the voice slowly growing louder and louder.

"Hang on Ash, I'm coming!" Misty snapped, pulling away the curtain until all that remained before her was a brilliant, glowing wall. It rippled like water with light shinning through it, though it was clear the wall was composed of bricks. She punched against the barrier, shouting for the man she saw only ten feet before her, his back turned. "Ash! Ash! Over here, you stupid idiot!"

Ash turned at the sound of "stupid idiot", as though it were his proper address. At first, the boy's eyes didn't seem to acknowledge her existence, as he simply skimmed over her. However, after a few seconds, he saw her, his lips curling into a broad smile as he darted toward the wall, pounding at it heavily, praying no doubt it would snap under his fists. Alas, as Misty stared, Pikachu struggling to shock the wall with electricity, the wall neither budged or stirred. It remained erect and still, standing like a monument to the barriers of people's hearts.

"Misty! Try hitting it from your side!" Ash shouted through the wall. Misty nodded, and reached for Gyarados's ball.

However, Psyduck emerged.

"Not you, you stupid idiot!" Misty snapped as Psyduck glanced at the wall. Then, a simple idea came into Misty's head. Psyduck was a psychic Pokemon, right? Deoxys was psychic too, so maybe the little yellow creature's power could, somehow, tear the wall down brick by brick? It was worth a shot, wasn't it? "Alright, Psyduck, use your Psychic Attack!" Psyduck cocked his head slightly before Misty, frustrated, kicked it in the head. "This is MY dream, so do what I say, dammit!"

Psyduck's eyes widened as light filled his open sockets.

#

Sabrina cried in pain as her blood pooled out from under her, Tyrannitar's weight crushing her underneath its massive bulk. Tears streamed down her cheeks in the pain. These were the first tears she had cried in such a long time. Why was she crying now? Was she afraid of being defeated? Surely that was all, nothing more or less. Afraid that Nathanael's plans would come to fruition, no doubt.

No, she was scared for her life.

Ash had given her so much, given her a new chance of life following the almost two decades of obsession toward developing her powers. She didn't want to lose a chance to truly live after Ash helped her so much in the past. She just didn't want to fade away at all. She had barely begun living, really. She wasn't even thirty yet, not close! She needed to live. She didn't want to die!

The crack filled the air.

Tyrannitar glanced over, distracted, which was all the time Sabrina needed to push Tyrannitar off of her. He was thrown off-axis, but caught himself nonetheless. Sabrina vanished in a flash of light, emerging elsewhere to heal. Tyrannitar shrieked, but the sound of a second crack distracted him again. Sabrina glanced over at the coffins containing Misty and Ash, her eyes widening as they began to crack slowly, and, before their very eyes, break altogether.

"They actually did it," Sabrina stammered, eyes wide.

Rising from the sparkling fragments of the psychic coffin, Ash and Misty rose, sparkling light drifting around their limbs as they ascended. Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder as the other Pokemon awoke, stirring awake. Misty's Corsola and Politoed were joined by her Psyduck, who held his head uncomfortably. Though Misty was far apart from Ash on Ka's Charizard, the two seemed bonded in a way, a certain fusion of ideals and concepts, almost as though, for lack of a better term, they were one.

What happened in the dream world, anyway?

"How did those two break free of the illusions?" Nathanael stammered, staring at the two of them with wide, horrified eyes, "What sort of people are you, anyway!"

"What we have is something you'd never get, Nathanael," Ash snapped, eyes focused and furious as he clenched his fists, "And let's get somethin' straight here: if there's one thing we're gonna do right here and now it's knock you down a few pegs, alright?"

"Listen very carefully, since we're only gonna say it once," Misty snapped, her trio of Pokemon standing straighter, mightier, behind her, "When this is over, you're gonna wish you were never born."

"You wanted a fight, well now you're gonna get one!" Ash snapped, kicking against Charizard's neck, commanding the beast to move onward. Charizard flew toward Nathanael, a glint of hatred in his eyes as he soared like a bullet at the evil man. The trainer's eyes were wide with fury, but soon they widened with shock as Tyrannitar leapt into the air, straight between Charizard and his goal, his mouth overflowing with energy as a great jet exploded outward. Ash tried to back up, but Charizard was nailed straight in the chest, throwing him straight next to Misty, the ground shattering under the impact. Ash rolled out from under Charizard, his arms scraped and bruised, Pikachu held tightly in his arms, but Charizard seemed seriously weakened. He thrashed in pain on the ground, clutching his chest in agony.

"Ash!" Misty shouted as Tyrannitar landed before them, hungrily. The monstrous Pokemon loomed over them, his jaws drawing open, saliva linking his sharp rows of fangs as he neared the group. Politoed and Corsola sprayed the creature with water, jets slamming against is hide, knocking him back a few feet. It did little to stop him, however. The soaking wet beast was then shocked by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. The water conducted the jolts of electricity, surging through Tyrannitar's great form, surging and distorting his body as he shrieked in horror.

All the while, Sabrina watched, transfixed.

They could win now.

#

Mewtwo struggled against the plethora of tentacles squeezing at his flesh, struggling to break and snap each of his bones as he resisted against the great force pulsating around him. He knew he stood little of a chance against the strongest Pokemon in the world, a title he himself once held with great pride. Just as he was about to surrender to Deoxys' grasp and allow the freak to tear him limb from limb, he sensed fire in the distance, a passion that surged all around it and scorched the Heavens above.

The tentacles burned away as a jet of flame came over them. Mewtwo broke free of the flaming tendrils wrapped around his body as he turned his head, free of the restraints for the first time. There stood, in all his glory, Entei, roaring at the top of his lungs, Molly sitting on his back, a proud, powerful expression on her face. Mewtwo regarded her for a moment before smirking in spite of himself. In a fight like this, he required assistance, even if it was from a human girl.

Deoxys' arm regrew in an instant, his eyes livid, not afraid of pain or anything of the sort. Mewtwo, now renewed with vigor and empowered zeal, launched a great wave of psychic energy into the air. As Deoxys shot into the air, avoiding the catastrophic attack, Entei leapt into the air, tackling the alien straight in the jewel on his chest, or at least the biggest segment of it, throwing the freak into the column, where he unleashed a great volcano of flame from his open mouth point blank into Deoxys' skull! Entei abandoned the burning Deoxys, only for, from the inferno, for an arm to suddenly stretch out for Entei. It wrapped around his ankle, and, before Mewtwo could fire the ball of psychic energy that would tear Deoxys' shoulder to shreds, it had thrown Entei headfirst through a stone column!

Entei recovered after a dazed second, turning back toward Deoxys with renewed fury, but that impact showed Mewtwo a detrimental fact that sent horrible shivers down his spine.

The fight wasn't over yet.

#

Tyrannitar had shaken off the sparks of electricity, dried in the heat of the magma chamber, and now stood high above Ash and Misty, along with all their Pokemon, roaring fiercely into the darkness as he approached them, grinning as he drew his head back yet again for another Hyper Beam. Didn't he ever get tired of using that damn move? Misty glanced back and forth. Politoed and Corsola were exhausted. The heat of the magma below was drying them out, and it looked as though Psyduck was suffering from a horrible headache—

Wait a second.

Tyrannitar fired the Hyper Beam. They could not dodge. There was nothing they could do, but Misty came up with an idea. She grabbed Psyduck, whose eyes widened in horror, and threw the poor duck right at the oncoming blast. He flailed his arms, frantically, before he collided headlong with the energy, a brilliant nova of light exploding out only ten feet away. Misty threw up her arms to her face, only for the light to suddenly fade away before their very eyes. Misty lowered her hands, only to see the largest flaming aura of blue she had ever seen emerge from the yellow duck.

His eyes had completely turned white as sparks soared from his body, which levitated in the air. His skull was bleeding, but that only helped fuel his great strength. The Hyper Beam must've hit his head, otherwise his headache wouldn't have progressed this far. Tyrannitar, Misty realized, was still firing the same Hyper Beam, but a wall of psychic energy was restraining it. The ground shuddered under the wake of the Tyrannitar's attack, and yet Psyduck restrained it with but a single hand, the poor creature groaning in pain from within the swirling mass of blue.

The aura extended around the beam, wrapping and enveloping the golden-white blast with blue flames that swirled around the Hyper Beam, turning it to ash. It swirled around Tyrannitar, scooping the massive creature into the air. Misty watched as Tyrannitar was lifted into the air, only for Psyduck to force the energy outward, throwing the great massive beast through the air, through column after column, the beast's own weight increasing its momentum to unfathomable lengths, until it slammed into a wall of the magma chamber.

A second passed before Psyduck's aura faded away, and the Pokemon fell flat on his stomach, snoring loudly. Misty groaned, but at least the job was done. There was no way that Tyrannitar could've survived that. Ash approached Misty, and, tensely, laughed, "Okay, ya know, he COULD still be alive." The wall Tyrannitar began to crack before crumbling away as magma gushed out of the wall, pouring down over the ground, scorching all beneath it as it oozed over the ground, carpeting the earth with molten rock. Misty and Ash glanced at the fiery abyss below before Ash sighed, "Never mind."

#

Surge heard the sizzling of the magma coursing on the field below him, burning all it touched. He couldn't help but smile. It was as though the battle had moved locations from the interior of a magma cave and to the depths of Hell itself. What a perfect place to finish off the damned devil himself than to fight over Hellfire. Surge landed on Nathanael's plateau, Raichu on his shoulder, tail raised threateningly, as Nathanael turned around, eyes wide with terror. He backed away, slowly, as he trembled silently.

"Now, now Surge! Let's not be too hasty here," Nathanael chuckled, backing up slowly, hands raised as Surge approached him, fists clenched.

"What? No bravado? No confidence? Where's your Deoxys now to help you? Oh, he's got his hands full. Well, guess what you bastard? Now it's time to die!" Surge threw a punch at Nathanael, who pulled out of the way, stumbling backward, landing on his rear. What a pathetic excuse for a man! He wasn't a fighter at all! Surge felt almost ashamed that a man like this was the reason his comrades were currently dead! It was HIS fault, his fault for his gym being destroyed, for Elle and Watson dying, for everything, and now he was going to die like a dog just like they did!

"Raichu!" Raichu shrieked as he slashed through the air, sparks soaring from his tail, leaping out after Nathanael. He drew back, but, regardless, sparks licked his cheeks, drawing blood that splattered against the rocks around and behind him. Surge stood over the pathetic man, reaching down for his throat, heaving him into the air as he locked both hands around his wind pipe. He was ready to squeeze the life out of him, suffocate him until his head turned blue and exploded, rip him to shreds, break that stupid spinal column, shatter—

Gunshot.

Surge found his grip loosening as he tumbled backward, clutching the center of his stomach. He drew his hand away to find blood smeared on his fingers. What the hell? The lieutenant glanced over at Nathanael fast enough to see him point his pistol at him a second time, which he avoided. The bullet shattered stone, but failed to pierce flesh. That bastard! Bringing a gun to a fist fight? How dare he be so dishonorable. Yes, this was a battle to the death, but why did he have to have the stronger weapons?

It wasn't the first time Surge had taken a bullet.

He wasn't dead yet.

Raichu fired a jolt of electricity at Nathanael, knocking him backward, his shoulder out of line before he could fire again. Surge darted straight at him, throwing a mighty punch to his ribs, perhaps cracking one or two. The damn suit's eyes widened with agonizing pain, shock that anyone could hurt him that severely. With a sharp backhand, Nathanael's face was knocked aside, blood running from his nose before Nathanael kicked him in the pelvis, throwing him to the edge of the plateau.

A gunshot to Surge's knee was what put him down for the time being.

As Surge fell flat on his face, clutching his almost useless leg, Nathanael chuckled, pointing the gun at him from a distance. "Let's see. You've been fighting wars with that body of yours for years, yet I've only held this gun in my hands for a good thirty minutes. Sure, I've had basic aiming training, but like all great weapons, those who wield them become men of greatness themselves."

"Greatness?" Surge laughed, ignoring the bullet wounds and the pain associated with them, coughing briefly on his own blood, "You call this greatness? You, Butler, are the lowest of the low, a scumbag who will be remembered for simply causing everyone a shitload of pain. You're not worthy to be called great even in the lowest pits of Hell!"

"Shut up!" Nathanael snapped, aiming the gun for Surge's skull. Before he could fire, a spark of electricity surged straight into his hand, throwing the gun off the ledge of the plateau, into the fire pit to burn away. Raichu approached his nemesis, sparks swirling around his own body. Surge stared at his partner, his longtime friend, as his neared Nathanael, a murderous glint in his eye, a justified, glorious glint that filled Surge with a sense of pride. This was HIS partner, his companion, and now HE was about to aid Surge in his crowning moment: the defeat of a man who could potentially bring ruin to the world.

Nathanael reached into his jacket hastily as Raichu charged at him, and fired one round from the gun withdrawn from his breast pocket. Surge watched as Raichu's confident grin turned into a pained, horrified expression of shock as the bullet ran straight through his chest. Blood splattered out onto the stone floor as Raichu tumbled backward, eyes wide with pain as he bounced against the floor. Tears ran down his cheeks as he screamed as loud as he could. Nathanael could only stare in horror at the poor creature. No, Raichu couldn't die. He just couldn't. Surge had lost everything else. If his last Pokemon, his last companion, his last friend, was going to die, then what else did Surge have? What reason did he have to live?

Nathanael pulled the trigger, and a second bullet landed in Raichu's chest. The creature remained still on the ground now, bleeding a puddle of blood around it, dead. Surge could only stare in shock at the creature, his eyes wide, unable to focus. Never again would he hear Raichu's cooing sound, or feel the pressure of his feet against his shoulders. Never again would he see his companion run around crazily before his eyes. Never again would Raichu see the sunrise.

Never.

Slowly, Nathanael turned toward Surge, pointing his gun straight at the soldier. "Well then, all your guns have been leveled, and now it's time for you to die. Good-bye, Lieutenant." He fired his gun, blasting a hole through Surge's shoulder, the bullet exploding out of his back. The man ignored the pain, ignored the massive quantity of his own blood on the floor. Rather, he simply pushed himself up on his only good leg, and sprang forward, kicking off the ground repeatedly on his single leg, his arms stretched out, ready to tackle Nathanael.

The corporate fired a second round, this time nailing straight through Surge's left lung. So he couldn't breathe anymore, big deal! Surge had two of those things anyway, so maybe the other could hold out for a bit. Nathanael fired straight into Surge's stomach. That way would take a while to kill him as his stomach acids merely digested his organs from the inside. Big deal. He was almost there, anyway. He slammed his shoulders into Nathanael's side as the gun spiraled out of his hand, spinning into the air.

The two of them were over the magma pit now.

Surge watched as Nathanael's eyes widened in terror. Surge could only laugh. He couldn't help it. All life had ended before he was good as dead, so why not end life on a high note? He twirled over, his face turned toward the ceiling. With all the light, he could see the closed barrier keeping him from rising above his limitations. Shame he couldn't see that ceiling in the real world, that limit. He reached out for it before flames consumed his body, burning him to mere ashes.

#

Sabrina watched as Surge's body crumbled away into mere charred pieces of flesh. She knew it was inevitable, she knew there was no other solution for the issue. Lt. Surge was doomed from the moment Nathanael Butler first went up to his door and walked into his gym. His life was systematically being annihilated, with first his gym, then his friends, and now his life. What was left of a man both possessions and companions were annihilated? Just the will to survive, a will that Nathanael had not simply shattered, but ravaged.

It was better this way, with both of them—

The lava erupted upward as a sphere of green ascended from the molten, boiling rock. There, before them all, was Nathanael Butler, unburned, secured within a sphere of light. Sabrina's eyes widened in horror. Even though Deoxys was currently enthralled in combat, even though he was firing torrents of psychic waves at the hound of fire and the clone of the creator, the creature had enough power to still secure its "daddy" could live through certain death.

How frustrating.

As Nathanael was deposited safely onto the plateau once again, it became clear there was only one solution: the destruction of Deoxys.

Sabrina turned toward the fight yet again with Deoxys. Despite the volley of fireballs ramming into Deoxys' skull, despite the waves of psychic energy surging against the surface of its hide, it seemed impossible to expect Deoxys to fall, despite the strength of two legendaries against a single creature. After each blast left an impact, after every fire stopped raging, Deoxys would rise up yet again, stronger than ever as he regenerated from the injuries inflicted, blowing everyone away with a flick of his wrist.

This was the end of everything.

#

Misty recalled her Water Pokemon as Ash pulled Charizard to his feet, steadying the injured, battered creature. The poor beast was gasping for air, ragged breaths as blood ran down the scale of his body. The poor creature wasn't going to last long at this rate, yet they needed to be airborne to fight this enemy. They didn't have the luxury of choosing whether to rest or to fight. Fighting was absolutely necessary. They HAD no choice.

Misty returned to Ash's side, plopping down behind her, running her hands across his sides as she embraced him, holding tightly to his body as she struggled to stay airborne. Ash was so delighted he almost elevated into the air without his trusty yellow sidekick, but thankfully he kicked Charizard's side to fly into the air just after the rodent leapt onto his shoulder. And with that, Ash's blue jacket danced in the air as they shot into the air, overhead the series of explosions rattling through the cave, the battle against the Ultimate Weapon.

Ash watched as balls of psychic energy collided with spheres of utter flame and devastation in mid air, canceling each other out in brilliant novas. As Deoxys ascended into the air, his body morphed and monstrous, Charizard had but a single response: Fire Blast. The great cross of fire slammed against Deoxys, exploding against his skull. The dust cleared a moment later, leaving, to Ash's horror, not even the lightest of marks. Ash watched as Deoxys' arm suddenly stretched outward, noodle like, almost akin to a whip, as he drew it backward, ready to slam it across Charizard's face. It was at that moment that Entei leapt against his chest, slamming Deoxys into the nearest column, smashing him through it. The whip lashed too low as a result, and Charizard effortlessly dodged the blow.

It was then that the whip curled around Entei's middle, throwing him off into the distance. With his other hand, he extended an open palm. Without warning, a great torrent of psychic energy tore through the air, flying straight at Entei. Ash was blinded by the light, and could only see what existed as the brilliance cleared away. The lava beneath the blast had risen into what could only be described as liquid walls, the trail of the blast leaving a crater upon the floor of the cave. It had penetrated the walls of the mountainside, opening a portal to the outside, a threshold where the lava slowly began seeping out, scorching the trees below.

Entei and Molly were nowhere in sight.

They were gone. Totally gone. Were they dead? Were they hurt? Ash didn't know, and thought he walls of lava remained erected in the air in the wake of the blast, continuing to defy gravity thanks to the mere caress of Deoxys' power, the possibility that they had melted in the fires of magma was a strong possibility. Maybe they were alive, but even if they survived, how dare that monster touch them! And what if they were dead? What if, after all these years of idolizing Ash, idolizing Misty, Molly's journey would be cut short, no, blown away in the form of a great wave of energy thanks to a damn genetic freak monster?

Pikachu was the first to act, firing the electrical waves headlong into Deoxys' eye. The Pokemon recoiled as his very eye was blown away. Mewtwo soared toward the stunned Pokemon, only to be blown away by an off-hand psychic blast, thrown through a dozen stone columns. In Deoxys' moment of distraction, Charizard responded, firing torrents of flame at the Pokemon. For a moment, Ash was sure they had ensnared the brute, but as a fast moving object traveled through the flames, scattering the ashes to the winds, Ash knew that, even if Deoxys WAS burning, that meant precious little to the demonic alien Pokemon. He dove through the flames, drawing back his palm, which had transformed yet again into a whip, as he slammed Charizard across the scale of its body, tearing apart the dragon's wings, throwing it into the floor of the nearest plateau. Ash stumbled off the beast, Pikachu clinging to life onto his arm. Misty, however, Ash saw from the corner of his eyes, broke free of her death grip across his stomach, and tumbled toward the ledge, toward the magma pit, toward death.

Ash acted in an instant. He dove for her hand, clasping it in his own gloved hands as fast as he could. She was dangling over the edge, Ash barely holding firm ground where he stood. She weighed more than expected, but regardless he'd never release her! No matter how heavy she was, or how much Deoxys tried to kill him, he'd NEVER let her die. He'd die himself before letting those doe eyes fall into the depths of eternal burning, of the infernal ground they fought over.

When Misty's eyes widened, Ash knew that Deoxys was right behind him.

The Ultimate Weapon placed both of his hands, the whip-like appendages transforming back into their ordinary shape and form, before the gem like structure on his chest. A sphere of swirling psychic power emerged between his palm, sparkling wildly as the very ground began to tremble. This was it! The alien was going to erase them from existence in a single, all-powerful attack, blast away every cell in their body until nothing remained. Ash squeezed Misty's hand tightly, tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Misty," Ash cried, silently.

"Ash," Misty mumbled, tears rolling down her own cheeks, "I lo—"

Charizard leapt forward on the ground, roaring as he used the last of his energy to slam his entire body against Deoxys' form. The creature stumbled forward, the sphere of dark psychic energy slamming headlong into the jewel structure in his chest. The freak's eyes widened in pain as energy coursed through every fiber of the crystal, the structure glowing brightly as energy overpowered it from the inside. Sparks soared out from his body as he slowly levitated in the air, arms outstretched before, in a great nova of light, the crystal exploded!

Ash and Misty were thrown off the ledge of the cliff. As they spun through the air, their eyes met for one instant, Pikachu clinging to Ash's shoulder, glancing back and forth at each of them, fearfully. This was it. They were done for. Everything had ended for them. Ash felt Misty's fingers squeezing around his own as they tumbled downward, spiraling toward their deaths. Tears streamed down their cheeks.

When they landed on the soft cloudy surface, feeling the wind whistling through their ears, Ash figured, at first, they had died and gone to Heaven. However, after daring to open a single iris, he realized that they were floating on a cloud like surface between two spiky frills. Sitting ahead of them was Molly, her forehead bleeding, but otherwise still alive. They were on Entei's back, the dog of flames leaping to a safe surface, gasping for air, bloody from the attack, but still alive! Misty was at his side, glancing up along with Pikachu, both visibly shocked to be alive.

"Misty! We survived!" Ash stammered, jumping against Misty's body, pulling her into a tight hug, his lips curled into an impossible smile of joy. Her arms wrapped around his chest, pulling him closer, her fingers probing his back anxiously, as though she could never grab enough of his body to pull against hers, her tears running down her cheeks and sticking to his shirt. For a moment, they parted, staring at one another. Ash felt his heart beat faster as they drew closer, her eyes coming out of focus and yet saw their target oh so clearly. The future Pokemon Master's eyes reacted similarly, that much he could sense, as he slowly leaned in closer, driven by the moment—

"What happened to Charizard?" Molly asked, tearing both trainers out of the moment, the two of them blushing deep red. However, it was a good question. Had it not been for Charizard, they might've died. Ash guessed the energy must've overpowered the crystal, causing it to self-destruct. Surely Deoxys couldn't survive its own self-destruction, but Charizard could've escaped it, right?

As the dust slowly began to clear, the smoke rising profusely into the air, Ash realized he still could see no evidence of either Pokemon. That was until the dust drew away, revealing a blackened dragon-like skull covered in droplets of blood, crumbling away into the dust. Ash lowered his head. Ka's last Pokemon had perished. Had it not been for Charizard, Ash wouldn't have survived, and neither would Misty. When they returned to Viridian, they'd have to tell her the bad news in person. Ka looked so beaten up over Shi's death he doubted she'd be able to handle more bad news.

As the dust cleared, however, Ash noticed something else. His eyes widened as a figure emerged silently from the smoldering wreckage. There, standing before them, was the disemboweled remains of Deoxys. The crystal circulating throughout its entire body had been utterly destroyed, exploding apart the scale of its entire body. The torn flesh remained frayed and charred. The creature could barley hold itself up as it stumbled around on the burning plateau. Cracks ran the entire scale of the structure, the explosion's damage to the rocks catastrophic. While the rocks were slowly deteriorating as magma began to travel through the fissures, melting the structure from the bottom up, Ash expected Deoxys to begin regenerating, proving Charizard's sacrifice was for nothing!

Then why wasn't it healing?

If anything, it looked weaker than it was five seconds ago.

And then realization hit Ash head on like a rocket from space.

"He's weakened!" Ash screamed, "We can beat him! He can't regenerate any longer!" Not only could he not regenerate, but he couldn't even float anymore. He appeared to be bending to gravity, unable to levitate above an unstable surface, unable to heave his body up as fibers and tendons burned away. He was falling apart before their very eyes, and nothing could stop that, not even his own crippled psychic abilities.

Mewtwo, as he appeared, looked as though he had seen better days himself. He was covered in gashes and blood. He too was sagging under gravity, but at least he was levitating above the platform, staring down in shock at Deoxys' terrible state. He was gasping for air, coughing out his own blood in the process, but nevertheless he stared down at the broken enemy, a freak barely able to fight, yet still standing before them.

"I…won't…let…you…hurt…dad…dy…" Deoxys' voice reverberated, weak and faint, but still as passionate as always, "I…will…protect…my…dad…dy…be…cause…I…love…him…"

"You chose a terrible human to feel love toward," Mewtwo snapped, fiercely, "But if you wish to die for your master, then so be it!" Mewtwo drew his hands back, cupping them together as psychic energy swirled within them. He threw the energy out before him, the wave shooting out toward Deoxyx. The ruined monster could do nothing but allow himself to be hit squarely in the shoulder. The resounding explosion threw Deoxys against a fragment of rock as his arm spiraled into the air, tumbling over the edge, landing in the magma pit, burning apart to melted ashes in seconds.

"I…will…protect…dad…dy…"

The freak threw his hand out before him, a visible wave of psychic energy flying at Mewtwo. All it did, however, was make Mewtwo's body waver in mid-air. The clone's eyes widened in horror as he realized his power had been broken. Refusing to surrender, Deoxys extended his only hand as the column began to tremble beneath his feet. Slowly, a great rock was wrenched from the column of fragmented stone, raising it above his head through psychic power alone. Mewtwo's eyes widened as the rock rocketed over toward the clone. The stone slammed headlong into his skull, throwing him backward, his back arching over, spiraling and flopping through the air. Mewtwo slammed against the surface of the next plateau, bouncing around before remaining on the floor, bleeding from the face.

As a second stone levitated into the air, Entei fired a massive fire ball directly at the stone, blowing it to fragments. Burning cinders tumbled downward as Deoxys glanced over, its eyes filled with both fury and hatred. Two stones rose into the air, struggling to stay afloat, before they were rocketed at Entei. He leapt out of the way of the first stone, blasting apart the second stone to approach him. Molly clung to the dog's neck, tears in her eyes, as Ash and Misty clung to the frills, Pikachu dangling onto Ash's shoulder.

Rock after rock was thrown at Entei, who leapt masterfully out of each and every impact, the speed of the stones through the air far too slow to keep up with the masterfully powerful beast. However, one stone snuck right past Entei's eyes, slamming into his hind legs, pinning him against the wall of a column. Entei roared in pain, screaming at the top of his lungs as Deoxys chuckled from his high plateau.

Deoxys pulled another stone from the column, holding it high above his head, its laughter loud and powerful. This was the end, and Ash knew it. There was no way they could survive this last attack. Entei might be able to blast it away, but Deoxys would just draw another rock and another until the hound was out of usable flame, the embers scorching even the fire dog's throat. Still, just how many rocks did that creature have? It was drawing stones from the column below his feet, so how many more times could he pull a rock out from under him before the structure collapsed?

The answer was it already had begun.

Deoxys stumbled forward as the column crumbled away beneath his feet. Fissures had risen up the entire structure, spiderwebbing each stone as more pressure was exerted on each stone due to him removing rather massive rocks from the structure. Deoxys threw his arm out for balance, but his weakened form was helpless as gravity took its toll. It stumbled downward, screaming, before landing head first in the lava! Fire exploded outward as a hand extended from the molten rock.

"HELP—ME—DAD—DY—! HELP—ME—DAD—DY—!" it cried out, turning toward Nathanael, reaching out for the man as his flesh melted off his bone. Ash couldn't look at that poor creature's death, and turned toward the rock levitating in the air. For a moment, it remained airborne, but soon, succumbed to gravity as well. Deoxys turned up toward the falling stone as the heat of the magma lit it aflame. His eyes widened in horror as the rock slammed against his mass with a massive, explosive smack! Magma splattered outward as the remains of Deoxys were crushed as the ball exploded under the field of molten rock.

Magma splattered against the stone pinning Entei, melting the block as Entei broke free. Entei limped up to the top of the plateau. His thigh was bleeding heavily as he gasped for air, clearly exhausted. Fighting Deoxys was tough business, wasn't it? Ash patted Entei's fur, stroking it gently, as though to sooth the creature. Entei's tense form slowly relaxed, lowering his gaze as he exhaled, embers snorted out from his open nostrils.

Now all that was left was Nathanael.

A spark of blue electricity surged through the air from the corner of Ash's eyes. He spun around to see a spiraling net of energy fly toward Mewtwo. The powerless Pokemon, defenseless against the wave, was ensnared by the net, thoroughly trapped in its power. Ash glanced up as a net flew toward Entei. He was going to be ensnared just as easily, right?

Wrong.

A flash of light emerged before the net as it wrapped around a figure within its energy confines. There, ensnared by the net, was Sabrina. She tumbled to the ground, turning toward Ash to grunt a single word: "Go!"

Ash didn't need to be told twice. The trio hopped on Entei, leaping off into the air as the third energy net surged toward them, scooping out fragments of rock. The dog of fire landed on Nathanael's plateau, but he wasn't fast enough, or perhaps not strong enough, to leap out of the way of the next net. While Ash, Misty, and Pikachu leapt off Entei's back in time, Molly was ensnared along with the dog, the two tumbling to the ground, struggling against the confines.

In Nathanael's hand, outstretched, was a large pistol-like device, but he barrel was disk shaped, sparks soaring from its shell as he held it, outstretched, toward the duo. In his other hand, also pointed at the duo, was a regular pistol, ready to fire straight into their bodies, ready to blow holes through their bodies. Nathanael's eyes were wide, full of both fury and terror. His hands trembled violently as he took tentative steps toward his target, skin pale, hands no doubt clammy, sweat covering his forehead.

"Alright, stay still," Nathanael snapped, his lips curling into a powerful grin, "Let's get one thing straight: if you move, I'll kill you both, understand?"

"Nathanael, it's over," Ash snapped, "By now, Lance's probably contacted the whole league telling them to come here right now to just cart you off to jail. If you come quietly, you'll save everyone a lot of trouble."

"Quietly? Quietly! You're acting like it's over! It isn't! It's not over until I say it is," Nathanael spat, gun aimed forward, "Look, I have two God-like beasts in those nets. This was Claude's pride and joy right here, one of the best weapons developed: a net that will ensnare anything, and manipulate their movements and power. They will bend to my will and do whatever I want, regardless of what their will dictates."

"But what about love?" Misty asked.

"What about it?" Nathanael laughed.

Ash glanced at the corner of his eye at Pikachu, who was silently squeezing his cheeks, gentle sparks starting to emerge. Slow, but slow enough that Nathanael didn't notice. That was how it had to be done. Pikachu needed time. Ash had to make some crap up in the mean time. "Well, if you work with anyone, you need to have a sense of trust with them, right? That's a form of love."

"Trust?" Nathanael laughed, gun pointed at Misty's head still, "Trust is a weakness I cannot afford. If you trust someone, you'll open up your most vulnerable parts to them, and let yourself just be beaten up and ruined by them. I can't afford to trust anyone!"

"You must be a really miserable person," Misty sighed, unsympathetically.

"Miserable?"

"Is that why you feel the need to bully people? Because deep down you feel weak and pathetic?" Misty asked, her voice colder than usual, a frosty tint to her words.

"Are you pitying me?" Nathanael chuckled.

"No. You aren't worth my pity. You're just a pathetic excuse for a—"

The gunshot rang through the air. Ash's eyes widened as the bulled soared for Misty's head. No! He couldn't get Misty! Ash pushed her aside, the bullet slamming into her pigtail, severing it entirely. Misty's chopped hair fell to her shoulders as the two teens tumbled to the ground, and Pikachu leapt to action. He squeezed his cheeks tightly, a great bolt of electricity surging outward, flying straight into the barrel of the disk-shaped gun! It exploded in a flash of blue sparks. Nathanael screamed as robes composed of blue energy dug into his flesh, wrapping and running below his skin. He screamed as his entire arm was consumed, the sparks pulsating through his body like diseased blood vessels. Ash noticed the ropes around Entei and Molly to dissolve away into mist.

Nathanael clawed at his arm, in agony, as he screamed to high heaven. He pointed his pistol directly at Ash, his eyes wide with madness and fury. "You bastard! I'll kill you—I'll kill you—I'll—ARGH!" The gun exploded in his hands, the shards tearing at his fingers as they were literally ripped out of their sockets from the force. His bleeding hand was incapable of holding any sort of weapon, thanks to a simple psychic disturbance by the Saffron City Gym Leader, a woman now freed of her net, standing tall, hands outstretched as her hair danced in the wind.

With a small grin, a dark aura swirling around her body, Sabrina chuckled. "Now then, time for us to play."

Behind Nathanael, before their very eyes, emerged what could only be described as a great vortex in the sky. How was Sabrina doing this alone? Ash glanced off to the distance only to see Mewtwo, battered and bloody, yet still alive, contributing his strength to her cause. Nathanael stared at the swirling vortex of space and time, barely able to stand before its great strength. Slowly, his jacket began to flap, slowly drawn toward the epicenter of the vortex. He struggled against it, driving his feet into the ground as the soles of his shoes dragged against the rock. He turned toward Ash and Misty, and darted toward them, a mad grin on his face. He leapt forward before the psychic energies dragged him back, but not before he grabbed onto Ash's wrist, pulling him with him toward the vortex!

Ash's eyes widened as he struggled against the great magnetic forces, forces pulling Nathanael into God knew where. No! Ash didn't want to go in there! He did not, could not, be sucked in so thoroughly into oblivion. Beyond that threshold was a Hell of some sort; Ash didn't know which one. He didn't want to be away from Misty. As he thought this, he felt a hand clasp around his other wrist. There stood Misty, struggling to pull Ash back with her. Nathanael's eyes widened in excitement as he too was drawn in by Misty, his laugh echoing through the air. Ash glanced at the girl, her eyes full of determination, of desire.

Ash knew what to do once again.

The teen pulled Nathanael toward him, the man stumbling slightly as he did so. He used Misty as a balance so he didn't fall too far back, especially as he extended his foot straight into Nathanael's solar plexus, shattering the ribs just above that soft fleshy point. He knew they were shattered because he felt the all-too satisfying sensation of bone crunching just above his feet, even bone shifting into a non-bony area like the solar plexus. As he coughed up blood, Nathanael released Ash, and, with nothing left to hold him to this world, was dragged into the vortex, into the great unknown of oblivion. The vortex closed up behind him, and Ash collapsed to the ground, fear settling in.

"Are you okay?" Misty asked, curiously.

"Yeah, I am," Ash panted, glancing up only when Sabrina and Mewtwo, both panting and gasping for air, drifted over toward them, "Just what did you two do, anyway?"

"I told you before we got here," Sabrina panted, "I was going to send Nathanael Butler to Hell, which is exactly what I did."

"C'mon, really, where is he?" Misty asked.

"Well, let's just say he's worlds away right now."

#

Nathanael Butler landed heavily on the ground, gasping on his own blood, coughing it out onto the ground as he slowly rose to his feet, blood running down from inside his own mouth. He could barely breathe as he clutched his injured ribs, slowly rising to his feet on the sandy, scarlet landscape, this alien terrain that resembled Earth. He could barely breathe thanks to those bastards. Whether it took him a century, or even a million years, he would kill them, he would kill them AFTER ravaging and taking away everything they had. He smirked as he imagined their faces after he ran their skulls into the mud. He chuckled softly to himself before he realized that his cracked ribs caused him great pain when he laughed.

First, though, he had to figure out where he was. Everything was dark, the skies bloody red, the water in the distance lapping against the shore sharing that same dark, crimson shade. What was this place? He glanced around, seeing bizarre shadows in the distance, graves sticking out of the grave in unusual spots. They were rusty and moldy, as though they had been there for some time. He glanced over at the water once more, only for his blood to freeze in his veins.

There, before him, was a fourteen year old girl with short, blue, wolfish looking hair. She regarded Nathanael with a look of utter contempt as she walked across the water, floating ON the surface of it as she neared him. Something about the girl was unnerving, unsettling. Her eyes didn't look quite right, those red, scarlet eyes. Like blood, like the exposed flesh of a human heart. Her pale skin looked like flesh drained of all life fluid, however, like a ghost.

"You injured Pilot Ikari?" the girl asked, in a soft, whispery voice.

"Uh, who are you?" Nathanael asked, backing away as best he could in his ravaged condition, flinching as he reinjured his ribs. Who was Ikari? Had he met this person somewhere? Ikari sounded like Hikari, so maybe there was a connection of some kind? "Hey, look, I have lots of money I could pay you if you want. Lots of it. Listen, we can work something out, right?"

Nathanael glanced behind him, as though to look for an escape, but saw, to his extreme horror, more girls just like the one in front of her, all pale white, all staring at him, the whites of their eyes colored over with darkness, swirling, terrifying darkness, their eyes wide open, their mouths smiling sick, ghoulish grins. Nathanael stumbled, glancing around from all angles as fear filled his heart. These demons were everywhere. He was surrounded by thousands of these girls, all staring with those eyes, those damn eyes staring, staring into his heart and soul! "You injured Pilot Ikari, didn't you? You hurt him? Killed him? And what did he do to you?"

"Who are you people!" Nathanael stammered, desperately.

The first girl approached, dressed in a school girl uniform, her face expressionless unlike the others. "The Instrumentality Project was meant to combine all humanity into one to put an end to all suffering. However, the suffering combined together to create a mass of almost infinite pain and anguish. The entire planet's history of misery is all condensed into one concentrated, never-ending force. It's such an intense power that no human mortal can even comprehend a trillionth of its strength without going insane." The girl made eye contact with Nathanael, a cold, almost murderous glint in her eye.

"Why are you telling me this?" Nathanael asked, eyes wide with terror.

"We'd like you to experience all of it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Part 18**

For an entire minute, all was silent. Ash sighed slowly as he glanced around, staring at the lava as it remained, for a moment, relatively still. It was like water lapping up against the sides of some beach or maybe even a crag, the only difference being that this flaming water could sear you to ashes even if you were a mere twenty feet from it. Misty was panting slowly, her recently cut hair falling over her shoulders as sweat built up around her forehead. She was so beautiful, even if she did have droplets of blood and filth smeared on her face, soaking sweat moistening her clothing to the point that they stuck to her skin rather tightly. Molly clung to Entei as she panted for air, succumbing to the heat of the antechamber. Sabrina, despite bleeding heavily from the shoulder, stood erect, her hair blowing in the nonexistent breeze. Mewtwo was struggling to stand, catching his breath as the seconds passed.

However, once the column they stood on began to tremble, the silence ended.

"We can't stay here for much longer!" Sabrina stammered as the lava walls that lead outside began to crash downward, spraying liquid rock against the columns of stone, melting them upon physical contact, "Quickly! Mewtwo, help me teleport us out of here." The cloned creature extended his hands, an aura of azure swirling around is body, but, as sparks ensnared the group, they found the Pokemon could do nothing to help them. They remained steadfast in their place as the pillar they stood upon slowly began to teeter, toppling off to the side.

"No!" Molly screamed, hopping on Entei's back, "We don't have time! C'mon!" She gestured for them, and they knew at once what she wanted. The four of them leapt onto Entei's back, hopping forward as the column they stood upon fell over into the lava, liquefying on contact. They stared down at the smoldering rock as it sizzled away, fizzling into a bubbling little mass on the lava.

"We're doomed," Misty stammered. Ash looked around them as the columns began to liquefy all around them as the lava began to boil beneath their feet. The columns leading toward the only exit had crumbled away, blown away by a blast of Deoxys' psychic energies. Ash turned toward the vortex they had entered the volcano through, praying Team Rocket had left it open for them to escape, praying they had the decency to aid them in their hour of need.

His prayers failed him.

The portal was no more.

"Dammit!" Ash screamed as the column they stood upon began to waver back and forth. Below them was a swirling cesspool of lava, their only exits impossible to access. Entei could never reach beyond the canyon filling with lava by the second, the molten rock rising into the air with every nanosecond. The vortex had closed, leaving them trapped inside. Ash glanced over at Misty, seeing her as simply as the last beautiful thing in the world. His angel turned toward him, and at once he realized she felt the same way about him.

Their hands embraced, squeezing tightly, tight enough so that even the lava and magma, as it liquefied their bodies into nothing more than ash, would not tear them apart.

"Help us!" Molly cried, tears spilling over her cherubic cheeks as she fell down, her hair falling over her eyes. Sabrina's eyes had widened in horror as she stared around her at the lava, her skin growing paler by the second. Had this been part of her plan? Had this been a piece of her plot against Nathanael Butler? Was their deaths all just part of her plans? Was Lt. Surge's demise all according to her little plan? Though Ash hadn't seen him die, he knew the soldier had perished in the brawl. It was painfully clear this was the case, after all, what other excuse did the gym leader have for not being alongside them as they resigned to their deaths.

The only thing that was real was Misty's touch, her sweaty skin sticking to his own as her soft palms pressed against his own.

Sounds grew unfocused and blurred as the roar of an engine filled their ears. Ash glanced up as a grand ship dove through the hole, the metal shimmering against the flaming rocks that had melted away below. As the column they stood upon began to crumble beneath their feet, the ship soared toward them, above the lava, above their head. Entei leapt upward as a door beneath the plane opened up. Entei rushed into the chamber, only for Ash's eyes to lay upon Jessie, James, and Meowth, standing at a control panel, eyes frantic.

"Alright, they're in!" James shouted toward the cockpit, where a single hand extended outward from behind a large seat, giving them the thumbs up. Ash glanced over to see Lance steer the ship out of the cavity of the underground magma chamber. The ship soared out of the searing ocean of fire, and escaped the heat pool.

Molly slumped over, gasping for air as her sweat drenched body sagged in relief. Mewtwo slowly allowed Sabrina to assist him off of Entei's back, holding the poor, broken creature against her shoulder. Misty and Ash, however, continued to hold hands as the Tohjo Falls behind them exploded out in a fiery eruption, the ground atop its magma chamber soaring into the air, spiraling like a deranged top through the air, fire slaying all the vegetation growing on the fragments, all the berries living there dying almost instantly.

All traces of Nathanael Butler had been erased from this world.

Misty and Sabrina had their gyms.

Now what?

#

Slowly, the boy's eyes opened up on the beach as he glanced up at the dark sky before him. The red blood drifted through the air as before, the dark scarlet liquid spilled over the ocean. The remains of an entire race remained spilled out before them, the primeval juices of humanity, LCL, that Shinji Ikari had turned the whole of humanity into. It was his fault this world was in ruins, and it was his fault he couldn't save Asuka from hell in the other world. Now she was going to spend an eternity suffering alone in that hell.

Shinji glanced over at Asuka's broken body. Her eye was wrapped up in bandages, as was her arm. He wished he could have saved her then, but all he had done while she was being torn to shreds was just hide, run away from making a change to the world. He had allowed his world to crumble apart, and nothing he could ever do would salvage his world from his own mistakes. Even running away to another world could not prevent Shinji to pay for his sins.

Or, to be more accurate, for others to pay for HIS sins.

Shinji bundled Asuka's body in a blanket he found drifting on the beach. It was probably the middle of January by now, and even though seasons had disappeared following Second Impact fifteen years ago, the post Third Impact world no doubt had returned the Earth to its original status, as it was awfully chilly during the nights. Asuka remained still. Her body trembled on instinct, by natural brain functions, but her soul and mind were somewhere far away, in another world, suffering because he wasn't able to save her again.

Why was it that, no matter what, he would always fail his love? He had lost her twice, and both times he had been unable to save her from the forces of those who wished him and the others harm. They were monsters, all of them. Now Shinji was all alone on a beach, with not a soul around him other than Asuka Langley Sohryu, a broken body unable to even say a single word, to open her eyes and live.

Thanks, once again, to Shinji Ikari's terrible judgment.

Shinji sparked up a small fire before the German girl, rubbing his own hands over her arms to build friction, ignoring the lust inside of him, the desire to just hold her close. After all, after what he had done, he didn't deserve to have pleasure at this poor girl's expense. "I'm sorry, Asuka," Shinji mumbled, slowly turning around to gather some driftwood to burn on the fire warming up Asuka's cold, shivering frame, "I didn't mean for this to happen to you. I just wanted you to be happy is all. I guess I failed. I guess once you make a mistake, you have to live up to it, even if it does seem like a good idea at the time. It's just that, after all this time, I thought I finally made the right decision, you know? I'm sorry you got hurt. I just wish I could do something to cheer you up."

Shinji turned around, only for a pair arms to wrap themselves around his shoulders, pulling him tightly against a pair of bosoms. Shinji remained still for a moment, his eyes wide with shock, as he drew his face away. There laid Asuka, arms out stretched, eyes filled with tears as she glanced up at him, smiling softly. "How many times did I have to tell you, Shinji? Stop saying sorry. It makes you sound so stupid, you know."

"I'm sorry I'm not living up to your expectations," Shinji replied, lips curling.

"Don't be," Asuka replied, staring back at him, eyes wide as tears ran down her cheeks, "Don't always say 'I'm sorry' all the time. You sound less like a man. You know, out here you aren't as cool as you were before. You aren't as cool as you were in my dream."

"Your dream?" Shinji asked, downhearted.

"Well, I think it was a dream, but somehow I don't think it was. Judging by that monologue when I woke up, I figure you had something to do with it. Don't know what, and I honestly don't care. I just wanna say one thing, first, Shinji."

"What's that?"

"I'm not going to let either of us die out here. If you die on me, I'll go over to Hell to kick the Devil's ass just to bring you back. The LCL sea will return to normal, eventually. Hell, people probably already came back. It's been so long already."

"Why're you being so nice to me right now?" Shinji asked, surprised by Asuka's lack of attacks toward him.

"I couldn't do anything to help you," Asuka replied, glancing over at Shinji, "I couldn't help you, couldn't help. I did everything I could, and that wasn't enough. But still, we're together again now. Maybe we're meant to be out here, but I know we'll be fine in the end."

"Why're you so sure?" Shinji asked.

"Don't question my logic," Asuka chuckled, "Just go along for the ride. Also, Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for at least trying to help me."

Shinji was quiet for a few moments before saying, silently, "You're welcome."

#

"In conclusion, with the bankruptcy and capture of Team Rocket's head, the total confiscation of Team Rocket's stock and biochemical weaponry, and the overall disappearance of Nathanael Butler, presumed to be lost in the explosion, the mission was overall a complete success," Lance said, concluding his speech toward the numerous individuals standing before him. Ash stood behind him, fidgeting. Seriously, why did he need to wear a tux, anyway? He hated wearing these monkey suits. Sure, Misty looked nice in her cerulean dress and all that, but why did he need to be dressed up? He blushed as he noticed his mom sat center stage, staring right at him, smiling brightly, waving occasionally, only to Ash's embarrassment. In fact, Ash noticed a lot of people they recognized. Of course Professor Oak and Gary had attended this ceremony, as had Brock, one of his longest and oldest friends in the world. May and Max had also attended the ceremony, as had Dawn. There were a few surprises, though, amongst the individuals who came. Paul, that rival whom Ash had defeated in Sinnoh after years of fighting him off, had attended the ceremony, though he looked just as stand-offish as he always did, as had that guy Barry, amongst other random trainers he recognized. Tracey had attended, making a sketch of, if Sabrina's occasional venomous glances at the trainer were any inkling, of the psychic gym leader herself.

The only one who had not attended this meeting who should have was Mewtwo. Molly was all dressed up in her suit, holding her precious Entei inside of a Pokeball she squeezed tightly in her pocket, Jessie and James were dressed in suits, Meowth choosing to go commando this time. Pikachu rested gently on Ash's shoulder, smiling proudly, though Ash was unsure whether the pokemon was proud of itself OR of its trainer. Sabrina was dressed in a night gown that accentuated her bust, though any trainer who dared even glance at her bosoms was given a dark, venomous look that frightened any possible voyeurs away.

However, Mewtwo was not to be seen. Ash remembered how Mewtwo had been in intensive care for days, but, when the time came for the meeting, he arose from the bed, mostly healed, only to teleport off, presumably to Cerulean Cave. Ash wondered whether or not Mewtwo's other clones resided there. Maybe, just maybe, Misty would be able to visit him when she returned—

Oh.

Ash was silent as he lowered his head, ignoring Lance as he allowed the audience to give their heroes a large round of applause, even a standing ovation. Still, it didn't really matter. After all, now their adventure had come to a close yet again. This was it. Now Ash was just an ordinary trainer off to become a Master. He had only been passing through to visit Misty a little, after all. He hadn't intended on staying. He wanted to head off to a new region he had heard of, with new Pokemon to face, new friends to join.

But he also wanted to be with Misty.

Why couldn't he have both?

Misty had fought for her gym, and simply leaving it behind—well, it would be selfish to say the least to request something she wanted for so long, fight for it, only to give it up after the final reel. It was selfish for Ash to want her to give up her job just to go with him on some stupid adventure to become a Pokemon Master, whatever that really meant. Seriously, Ash knew of Pokemon Masters. They were people like Lance, right? Ash knew he'd be amongst the Elite Four one day, maybe even the champion. Still, he had years for that, right? He needed to train every second in new regions. He couldn't remain stagnant in here, could he?

But if he continued his dreams, he'd leave Misty alone again.

And that would make both of them sad.

Ash waited until after the ceremony had concluded, waited until he had been hugged, congratulated, and patted on the back by every person he knew (save for Paul, who gave him a passing glance before leaving him behind, a smug grin implying that the trainer felt he could have defeated Nathanael without the need for the other trainers), only to find Misty staring out of a balcony out at the canyon below them, the Indigo Plateau head building standing on a luscious trip as always. She glanced over, her now shorter hair falling around her jaw line as she grinned, slightly.

"Hey, Ash, are you okay?" she asked, her hands behind her back tenderly.

"Huh?"

"You seem a little blue," Misty asked, leaning forward as her ironically azure dress folded between her breasts and flat stomach.

"Well, it's nothing much right now," Ash mumbled, his eyes not meeting Misty's irises.

The girl regarded the boy for a moment, frowning slightly, before the water trainer turned around, staring at the full moon high above their heads, frowning slightly. "Ya know, that girl Ka committed suicide not long after we left her behind."

"Yeah, I know," Ash said, surprised by the morbid turn of events.

Misty stared at the moon for the longest time, slowly. "We didn't know them long when we met them over in Fuchsia, but you knew she loved that boy Shi, right? You could just sense it."

"Yeah, I guessed that," Ash replied, uncertain what Misty was heading towards.

"I don't think she ever got to tell him what she felt before he died," Misty replied, "They were so young, too, and yet they both died. Younger than us, even. We like to think that we have forever for these things, until we grow up and whatever, but really, right now, this very second, we're grown-ups. We don't have an eternity for these sorts of things. Ya know, tomorrow one of us could just be run over by a car and die, or be shot by some crazy person. We don't need to be in an adventure for something like that to happen."

"But Misty, the chances of that happening are really low," Ash laughed, "Ya can't worry about that sort of stuff all the time. Otherwise, what's the point of living?"

"I know that. I have a point, ya know. I'm not just monologueing for the sake of monologueing! Well, what I mean is, imagine the guilt she felt when something like that happened, not able to say what she felt, you know? I can't imagine how it would feel to know that you COULD have told someone how much you love someone but, in the end, being unable to. It's just, well, unbearable to me. I'd just die inside of the guilt."

Ash felt his heart racing, though he wasn't sure why. Misty was staring at him with large, mournful eyes, approaching slowly as the seconds passed. Ash's palms grew sweaty as Misty neared him, hands folded below her hips as she stared into his eyes. Their breathing grew synchronized as Misty slowly said, her voice soft, coming out in a groggy yet wide awake fashion, "I just have so much I need to say to so many people, to my family, to my friends, to you."

"What do you have to say to me?" Ash asked, slowly leaning closer, his body growing hot underneath his tuxedo.

"It's just that I—"

Both Brock and Tracey darted into the balcony, a wide-eyed expression on his face as he darted roughly between the two trainers, hiding cowardly behind Ash as Sabrina entered the room, eyes wide with seething fury, sparks of azure soaring around her body. "If you so much as glance toward my breasts one more time, I'll send you both into the playhouse together for an eternity!"

"You still keep that freaky thing!" Brock stammered, eyes still squinted shut yet wide in an odd sense of the word as he stared best he could at Sabrina, trembling violently.

The moment was lost.

#

"The problem still is Vermillion," Lance sighed, glancing at the other Elite Four members, along with Sabrina, "Lt. Surge will be regarded as a hero for his services to save the whole of the Indigo League, potentially even the world, but that doesn't change the fact that he's dead." Sabrina felt a pang at the sound of those words. Yes, he was dead. It was a simple fact. So what? People died everywhere all the time. No big deal. Why did she feel so bothered by the knowledge one individual man was now dead? It wasn't like he was anything more than a pawn to her, anyway.

Under the dark light of the board room, Lorelei sighed, folding her hands before her, head lowered. "We need to declare a successor, clearly, but do we have any qualified trainers?"

"How about Ash?" Bruno suggested, "I'm sure he'd be glad to run his own gym."

"No," Sabrina replied, "He'd feel stagnated. He wants to beat each member of the Elite Four, and I don't think he'll get the most out of his training if he remains in a gym fighting weak challenges. No, he won't be nailed down like that."

"That doesn't change the fact we need Surge's successor if we are to rebuild Vermillion Gym," Agatha replied, critically, "We can always close down the gym, but after all that Surge put into salvaging that building, it would be nigh sacrilege to do such a thing. No, we need someone, that is undeniable. Perhaps we'll move one of the winners of the League tournament to—"

"No, I know who you should recruit," Sabrina stammered, rising up to the group, eyes wide as realization dawned upon her, "Had it not been for the efforts of Molly Hale, everyone would have died. She harnessed the power of an Entei to help defeat Deoxys, and save everyone's lives. Nathanael would've escaped, possibly alive, and we'd be doomed. The truth is, Molly Hale deserves Viridian Gym."

"Why should we hand a Johto trainer a Kanto gym? It doesn't make sense if you ask me," Lorelei stammered, only for Lance to silence her.

"Why her?" Lance asked, "I know there's another reason, as any number of you in that group did enough to save the world. Why would Molly make a better leader as opposed to Jessie or James?"

"For one, Jessie and James are incompetent idiots. For two, Molly Hale wants nothing less than to become a gym leader. I could sense that passion in her heart, that overwhelming desire. Give her the gym, and I guarantee you attendance to the league will rise. She's a young trainer, so she'd make mistakes. She has Entei in her control, so advance trainers will have an advance challenge. Molly lacks an element, but perhaps she can develop one over time. Regardless, Lance, you know she'd be perfect."

Sabrina stared into Lance's eyes for a moment before the Elite Four head chuckled, lowering his head in resignation. "Fine. It saves me time anyway looking for someone. Molly Hale, as of twenty four hours from now, will be the gym leader of Vermillion City. I just need to draw up the proper paper work first."

#

Misty's bag was packed on her bed as she ran a hand through her now shorter hair, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. She felt her hands tremble as she tossed a photograph she kept in her wallet of herself and Ash across the room, only to regard it for a moment, her lips tight, before reclaiming it, returning the photo to its rightful place as she shoved her wallet into her pants pocket, patting it against her hip before slinging her bag over her shoulder, leaving the room hastily.

Misty knew Ash had almost kissed her last night, just as she had wanted. Still, something had been bothering him. She could see it in his eyes. It took her a few hours the previous night to figure out just what it was. Could it be someone giving him the cold shoulder? No, when that happened he tended to react more with a frustrated shout emerging from his sweet lips. No, that certainly wasn't it at all. She considered that it could be Surge's death, but Ash, despite being empathetic, wasn't the type to mourn a hero like that. He would honor his sacrifice, but not necessarily spend days in mourning. Surge's death hadn't broken his heart the days leading up to the event, and certainly wouldn't now.

No, when Misty realized the real reason he was upset, she felt her heart break a little inside.

Ash was upset because of her.

It wasn't like he was mad at her or anything like that. Oh no, Misty would realize that if that were the case. In actuality, the source of Ash's pain was a conflict of interests in his heart. There were two forces at war in his heart: his desire for Misty and his desire for Pokemon mastery. Misty remembered just how Ash obsessed over his desire to be a Master, whatever that truly meant. At what point did someone transition from an ordinary trainer to a Master?

In Misty's eyes, Ash had always been a Master.

Still, Ash's impossible goal granted his life meaning. It gave it a heart, a passion that it needed. Pursuing mastery was his natural function, his required destination he would need to end up at, no matter what. It was a march toward perfection, a march that Misty should never interrupt. She knew that, if she stayed behind, Ash would NEVER reach his dreams, and that would mean that Misty would be responsible for spoiling Ash's life goals, ruining them, tarnishing them entirely. After all, if he were to stay with her, he'd need to stay in Cerulean with her gym. There was no way around it. Misty was nailed down to the ground. She had thought of many possibilities to save her gym, even considering giving custody of it to Molly, but then she learned that Molly was now going to be in charge of Vermillion City's reconstructed gym. There was no way Misty could escape being Cerulean Gym Leader, and so long as she was gym leader, if Ash wanted to be with her, he'd need to give up being a Pokemon master and focus entirely on living with a simple Kanto gym leader.

In short, if Ash was to be happy, Misty had to leave him behind.

#

Ash heard Molly come rushing toward him with the speed of a Rapidash on steroids, leaping toward them with a great grin on her lips, showing each one of her teeth. Ash, standing by the railing of a balcony, almost tumbled over to his doom, catching himself hastily as Pikachu leapt to safety on the floor, pulling Ash back from his near fall. Ash was about to shout at the girl, but her euphoria, clear by looking into her eyes, dissolved any sense of anger in his heart.

"I'm a Gym Leader!" Molly shrieked, "Vermillion City, Ash! Vermillion City Gym Leader! Papa would be so proud! I gotta call him and Mama! I can't believe it! I'm so happy! I could sing! Heehee!"

Ash smiled a melancholy grin, glancing down at Molly with a chuckle in his throat. "Ah, great job, Molly!"

Molly, still giddy, glanced over at her role model, her lips frowning slightly as she stared up at him. "Huh? Ash, ya don't look so happy. What's bothering you?"

"Oh, it's just Misty," Ash sighed, running a hand up his face, "I'm just worried about—well, it's kinda silly, really—I'm just not sure what's gonna happen next with us."

"Whaddya mean?" Molly asked, confused.

"Well, you see—how to say it?—I think I'm in love with her."

It was a simple fact, one that reverberated around the chamber like a thick ripple in a pond. Molly stared back at Ash as he gazed up at the blue sky above. He lowered his head, sighing as he weighed his options as to what to say next. "Still, here's the problem. I can't tell her that. If I do, well, I won't be able to continue my quest. I need to be a Pokemon Master, and—"

"What's a Master?" Molly asked, curiously.

"Whaddya mean what's a Master!" Ash stammered, eyes widened in confusion, "It's a—wait…" Ash considered how to phrase the concept of a Master to a girl like Molly. "Well, a Master is someone who can beat every trainer in the league easy, able to do whatever he wants effortlessly, and beat every single trainer who—"

"You said that already," Molly interrupted, "And aren't you already a Master?"

"No, I'm not. I'm good, but not that good," Ash laughed, "You saw what Lance did before. I could never fight someone like Nathanael head on like that and do so well. If Nathanael didn't have Deoxys on his side, I'm sure he'd have won."

"Well, I guess so," Molly replied, shrugging, "But really, I think you need to just tell her how you feel."

"Well, I would, but here's the problem: I'm afraid," Ash admitted, "I'm afraid that she'll feel obligated to travel around again with me, and then, well, she'll be torn away from her responsibilities. I can't do that to her. She has too much riding on her being a gym leader."

"Well, aren't you at least going to say good-bye?"

"Well, I'd just—wait a minute, GOOD-BYE!" Ash stammered, turning on his heels as he stared at the girl. Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder, eyes wide as well, shocked and frightened by the concept of having to say good-bye to anyone so soon. He intended on staying for at least a couple more weeks before moving on, so why did he need to say good-bye so soon, anyway?

"Well, they saw Misty leaving before," Molly replied, "On Gyarados's back, I think. She just went off and didn't tell anyone what was going on."

"They what! How dare they—hang on!" Ash stammered, running toward the door, only for Molly to call after him.

"We can ride on Entei's back! He's really fast!" Molly shouted, much to Pikachu's terror. The numerous rides taken over their previous adventure had no doubt laid a rather traumatizing series of memories for the poor electric rat. That was okay, Ash figured, as surely there were other modes of transportation aside from riding on Pokemon back.

Like walking.

As Ash darted out of the room, he ran headlong into Jessie, James, and Meowth, the trio staring at him with a look of shock on their faces. Clearly, they weren't used to the boy they had essentially stalked for the past several years, nearly a decade, just staggering out running toward THEM, nearly slamming headlong into their bodies. The trio stared at Ash confused as he panted heavily, eyes wide.

"Hey, did you see Misty around anywhere?" Ash asked, hastily ignoring their confused expressions.

"Misty? You mean your twerp friend?" Jessie asked, "Not really. Why?"

"She just left and didn't let Ash say good-bye," Molly explained.

"What a shame," Meowth replied, almost apathetically, "Well, look, we have to go see Lance about a job offer, and—"

"Where did she go?" James asked, tensely.

"I dunno, maybe home to Cerulean," Ash replied.

"You ain't actually considerin' goin' all the way t' Cerulean, are ya?" Meowth stammered.

"Look, our motto says to denounce the evils of truth and love, so let's face it: if we're any good at following our motto, we're gonna help him out, right?" Jessie snapped at the cat.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but could ya have the argument later? I need to catch her before she gets to Cerulean!"

"Why's that?" James asked, curiously.

"Because then—because, well, if I don't see her soon, I might lose her."

"Lose her?" Jessie repeated, confused.

"Look, I might never come back to Kanto in the future. I need to be a Pokemon Master, and doing so may lead me to places far away. I don't want to forget to say anything to Misty, because, well, life's too short to have regrets." Ash finally realized what Misty had said last night. She wasn't being morbid. She was just trying to explain herself in a round-about way, too nervous to admit the truth, just as he had for all this time until he finally confessed his emotions toward Misty to Molly after much probing. Misty must've been terrified. After all, Ash would probably babble a bit and have some preamble before arriving at the point if he was confessing his love too.

Jessie and James regarded Ash for a few moments, before James finally said, "Do you love her?"

Ash was quiet for a moment before glancing up, a determined glint in his eye.

"Yes."

#

"Are you sure it's a good idea for them to do this?" Lance asked, glancing out the window as a hot air balloon in the shape of a Meowth rose into the air, gently and serenely drifting through the sea of oxygen. Sabrina regarded the balloon silently, lowering her head in silence for a few moments before glancing back at Lance, tensely.

"Did you ever love someone who you lost?" Sabrina asked, softly.

"Can't say I have," Lance replied, shrugging, "Have you?"

Sabrina was quiet for a moment, considering the question. "I don't know. I know the pain of losing someone now, which is more than I can ever say I felt in the past. I feel anger, sadness, solitude, the sensation of being utterly alone. And yet, I don't know whether this is romantic love or the sensation of simply losing someone you cared about. All I do know is that it's painful. It makes my victory seem hollow, since I can't celebrate it with others who are now dead."

"I can understand that, but you still didn't answer my question: is it a good idea that we call Team Rocket over just when we need them to transfer Ash over to Cerulean?"

Sabrina was silent yet again as she grinned. "I figure it's the least I can do for those two helping me out a little."

"Well, you did help save the Indigo League. It's the least I could do as thanks," Lance chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked off. Before leaving his office, he glanced over, a grin on his lips, "Sabrina, if you want to thank me for helping you out with this whole Ash and Misty matter a little more, you could always go to lunch with me sometime at—" Lance fell silent as Sabrina shot him a dark, almost wicked look from the corner of her eyes. "—Then again, don't worry!"

#

"It's a pleasure to still be receiving a pay check," Jean mumbled, letting Misty into her perfectly maintained office. She nodded in thanks, glancing around at the desk before her. Perfectly arranged, as always, spotless as before, and yet it felt almost a little cold, a little emptier. Why was victory sometimes such a bittersweet experience?

"Thank you very much," Misty replied, "I think I can handle this now for myself. Can you go manage the pool for the time being?"

"I'm sure I'll be enthralled by that task," Jean replied, almost snidely, as she left Misty to her work. The now shorter haired trainer smiled slightly. Jean was an amusing one, even if she did wake up on the perpetually wrong side of the bed. Misty tumbled into her seat, the chair spinning slightly under her derriere. She glanced out the window to her right to see the pool below, the artificial light shinning through the visible barrier between her and the euphoria below. She glanced down at the swimmers as they dove into the water, droplets dancing in the air as people hugged their partners, locking lips and hands as they walked down the path. They discussed fun things like their futures, be it as near as just what they were going to do later that afternoon, or as distant as how a couple would spend their last days on Earth together.

At least that's how Misty saw it.

Interpretation was key.

She had to stop thinking about love and romance. It wasn't like she'd remain alone forever, right? Ash was not the last boy in her life. She'd find others, maybe others better suited for her, less stupid than that thick skulled moron, less goofy than that loony idiot, with a cooler looking outfit than that ridiculous jacket and hat, less zeal in that smile of his, that big ol' goofy grin that Misty just wanted to slap off his face, or with less enthusiasm than when he stared at her, intensely, as though Misty were, in some form, a diva goddess put on a pedestal.

It was then that Misty began to cry alone.

Who was she kidding? She missed Ash already. The truth was that no matter what decision Misty was going to make, she knew it was impossible to have Ash Ketchum remain in her life. She couldn't just force him to stay in Cerulean. After all, Ash needed adventure. Ash needed to get out there and see the whole world for himself. It was a requirement for the boy to become a man out in the depths of reality. Anything other than the boy achieving his dreams, well, that wasn't a really good ending, was it, for our hero?

Hours passed as Misty signed away all the paper work she had missed on her mission, paper work Jean was far too slow to complete. Finally, she finished up, and was closing up shop. Jean walked out from the lobby, toward Misty. She turned toward the orange haired trainer, smirking slightly. "Look, I'll clean up the rest. You just go home to sleep, alright? I don't want my boss losing her mind thanks to a little stress, alright?"

"Thanks," Misty replied, uncertain how to respond as she entered the lobby before her, only to freeze in place.

There, standing before her, was Ash.

He was gasping for air, his hair sticking to his forehead from sweat as he panted slowly, approaching Misty, eyes wide with a desperate need for her. The redhead stared at this sight, taken aback. Hadn't he just been in Indigo before? Did he follow her over here, dart over just to say one last word of farewell before going off on his way? Did Misty honestly mean that much to him that he'd go out of his way just to see her? She felt ears form at the corners of her eyes, but suppressed them. She couldn't look weak.

Not in front of him.

"Misty, look," Ash said, taking a few steps forward, "You remember what you were talking about last night with the whole life's too short thing?"

"Yeah, a little," Misty replied.

"You're right. It is too short. If we don't say what we really feel, then, well, no one's going to get anything, ya know?" Ash laughed as Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder from behind, nudging him along. "Look, I need to tell you this now, or else I'll never say it. I don't know whether or not I'm leaving after this, but I just need to get this off my chest. Misty, I love you."

Now tears streamed freely from her cheeks. Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words, a chill running through her body. Her body and organs lurched on the inside as she stared out at Ash, eyes wide with amazement and awe. "You love me?" Misty queried, her hands trembling as she struggled to remain calm and still, failing hard to do so. Ash was in love with her. It wasn't just her imagination or her thoughts. Yes, that meant that Ash could never be with her and they'd both be miserable thanks to Ash's obsession with perfection, but still, for a brief instant, Misty smiled on the inside. Regardless of the days to come, be they harder and rougher than the last, Misty could sleep soundly knowing that, at the end of the day, it was all okay, because Ash Ketchum was in love with her.

The tears spilled freely.

"Look, don't cry, Misty! I don't' want ya to get all misty-eyed—wow, that's funny, isn't it?—over me! I'm not going anywhere!"

"No, you can't stay behind .You have a Quest and everything—"

"It winds up that Quest is delayed indefinitely," a form from the shadows stated. Slowly, James emerged, followed by Jessie and finally Meowth, who was mumbling something under his breath about a job, only for Jessie to kick him in the head.

"Whaddya mean it's delayed?" Misty asked, confused.

"It just so happens that part of being a Pokemon Master is about loving your Pokemon," Jessie replied, "Without a proper sense of affection, well, you really can't be all that good of a Master, right?"

"Why don't ya show me some more love, huh?" grumbled Meowth before Jessie slammed her heel across his skull as he was slammed into the ground hard enough to crack the linoleum. The cat was still moaning to itself, the only thing injured being his pride.

"Well, Ash has the fighting part down pat," James replied, smirking, withdrawing a rose from his pocket, "But it looks like he needs a lot of training in regards to romance."

"So we need you to help train him right now," Jessie replied, "We'd love to help, but we're going to be busy with this new promotion as League Officials. We just need to declare league matches, and you'd be surprised how many millions that pays. And we still have the freedom to do whatever it wants, so long as we don't do drugs."

"So, while we're busy racking in the millions, would you mind giving this twerp a lesson in romance?" James asked, turning toward the door with Jessie and Meowth, approaching the large hot air balloon parked out front.

"We'll make sure you get a large bonus on your league funding if you do," Jessie replied, "We'll put in a good word in at the office. You two have fun now!" With that, the trio leapt onto the balloon, and soared into the air, disappearing into the sky beyond. However, Misty didn't notice, perhaps not even care, about their disappearance. All she could see, all she wanted to see, was Ash, staring straight at her, eyes wide with passion as he gazed over at her, unable to deviate his attention away as Misty drew nearer, eyes wide, her hands outstretched slowly as her fingers stroked his cheeks. Finally, Ash ran his hands over her hips.

This couldn't be real.

It had to be a dream.

But it wasn't.

"Ash, I have to say, you're a big idiot," Misty replied, drawing nearer for a first kiss, her eyes glossed over as she neared him.

"Well, you're not much better yourself," Ash replied, his voice mumbled as his hands trembled, nervously. Misty felt her knees buckle as she felt overwhelming desire consume her. She had longed for this moment for years, for about a decade, since the first day they met all that time ago outside of Pallet Town. Did she realize then that this was the man she loved more than anything else? No, quite the opposite actually. From distaste and hatred emerged attraction and love, from loss emerged retrieval, and from death emerged great rebirth.

Were they going to live forever? No. Was their world perfect? Not at all. However, anyone could make a paradise for themselves, so long as they went out to grab it. Misty watched as Ash created his own paradise, his own place of zen, along with an Eden for Misty herself, as the two had their lips embrace one another, their gentle, tentative lips pressing against one another slowly as they gazed into each other's eyes, the seconds turning into hours as they stood there, erect in the center of the room, unable to tear away from each other, completely and utterly submitting to their overwhelming love.

It was a romantic release years over due.

It was the first of many.

It was euphoria.

It was love.

Joy.

It was that simple.

THE END

I hope you've enjoyed this little fan-fiction. I apologize if I disturbed you in any way, but it was all to make the villains and conflict seem stronger. Perhaps I grew carried away at times, and for that I apologize. I just want to thank all of you for reading, and beg you to leave reviews and comments if you can. I really love hearing what you think, what I can improve upon in the future, etc. Thank you once again for reading, and AAML forever. ^_^

Da Games Elite


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